Marano sul Panaro: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Marano sul Panaro
The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.
For example: Via Fondovalle 35, Marano sul Panaro.
Marano sul Panaro, where the river leaves the hills
This is where the Panaro river leaves the hills south of Modena and reaches the plain, just upstream from Vignola. Marano stretches along the river, with its centre on the valley floor and land rising towards the Apennines through orchards, woods and scattered houses. Like the whole Vignola area, it is cherry and fruit country. Modena is about thirty kilometres away, Bologna a little further.
In 2023 it had 5,283 residents, up 10.4% on 2011. The average age is 44.9, against 45.8 for the province, and over-65s make up 21.4%. Foreign residents account for 12.1%, households average 2.38 people and declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.
For buyers the municipality falls into two parts. Down by the Panaro are the most convenient areas and the newer housing estates, but also the land to check for flooding from the river and the streams running off the hills. Higher up there are isolated houses and hamlets with wide views, on slopes where landslides are a familiar issue throughout the Emilian Apennines. Either way, the report reads the official maps for the address, and it is worth doing before a viewing.
Marano is in seismic zone 3 of the national classification set by the Civil Protection Department, like 39 other municipalities in the province of Modena, while 7 are in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area, about 0.161 g, is a medium-high value. For a masonry house or a restored farmhouse, ask for the paperwork on any structural work.
Bars and restaurants count for something here too: 35 in all, 6.63 per 1,000 residents against 4.56 in the province. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality.
Key points
- On the Panaro, where the valley opens out towards Vignola.
- Population up 10.4% since 2011.
- Valley floor and slopes: check flood and landslide maps for the plot.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.161 g.
Overview
Marano sul Panaro is a municipality in the province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 5,283 residents, ranked 29 of 47 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Marano sul Panaro is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (40 of 47) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.161 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 10.4%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 12.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Marano sul Panaro declared an average taxable income of 26,680 euros, in line with the province (27,632 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Marano sul Panaro is in climate zone E, with 2,373 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 142 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Marano sul Panaro has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.2 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.3).
Public transport
We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 6.7% of the land in Marano sul Panaro, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Marano sul Panaro is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Marano sul Panaro. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Marano sul Panaro: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.
House prices
The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.
Land registry
The cadastral maps for Marano sul Panaro are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.
Liveability area by area
The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 51 inhabited census areas in Marano sul Panaro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.2%
- fair 37.1%
- good 62.7%
Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out
Data sources
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 036020. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.