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Marchirolo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Varese, Lombardia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Marchirolo

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 Statale 1, Marchirolo.

Marchirolo, a valley village next to Switzerland

The SS233, the Varesina road that climbs from Varese through the Valganna and drops towards Ponte Tresa, runs through Marchirolo. The village lies in a wooded valley in the north of the province of Varese, a short distance from Lake Lugano and the Swiss border, and for many it is a base for working in the canton of Ticino. Cross-border work sets the rhythm of the day: in the morning traffic heads for the customs post, in the evening it comes back.

Buyers will find village houses in stone and render, detached houses and small blocks of flats built in recent decades, often with gardens and views of the woods. Altitude plays its part: the village is in climate zone E and valley winters are damp and cold, so look closely at insulation and heating. Basic services are there: 3 school sites, 1 official pharmacy and 19 bars and restaurants, more per resident than the provincial average.

Unlike many valley villages, Marchirolo is growing. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 3,568 residents in 2023, up 5.5% since 2011, with an average age of 44.1, below the provincial 46.5, and over-65s at 20.3%. Foreign residents account for 9.6%. Average declared incomes are well below the provincial level; in border towns this figure needs care, because part of the income of people working in Switzerland does not go through Italian tax returns.

Earthquake risk is the lowest there is: all 136 municipalities in the province of Varese are in seismic zone 4 on the Civil Protection Department scale (the national emergency agency), and the expected acceleration is about 0.039 g.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report reaches the plot from the address. On the wooded slopes and along the valley streams, landslides and floods are checked spot by spot.

Key points

  • Wooded valley on the SS233, near Lake Lugano and Switzerland.
  • 3,568 residents in 2023, up 5.5% since 2011.
  • All 136 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Average age 44.1, below the provincial average.

Overview

Marchirolo is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 3,568 residents, ranked 68 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Marchirolo is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 5.5%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (46). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Marchirolo declared an average taxable income of 16,993 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Marchirolo is in climate zone E, with 2,736 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 500 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Marchirolo has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Marchirolo.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 13.6% of the land in Marchirolo, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Marchirolo is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Marchirolo; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Marchirolo: 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 Marchirolo 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 31 inhabited census areas in Marchirolo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 19.2%
  • good 80.8%

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

ISTAT code 012097. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.