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Massarosa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Massarosa

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 Sarzanese Nord 9, Massarosa.

Massarosa, from the hills to Lake Massaciuccoli

Massarosa stretches from the hills that divide Versilia from the plain of Lucca down to the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli. It is less a single town than a group of villages: Massarosa itself, Bozzano, Quiesa, Stiava, Piano di Mommio, Corsanico and several hill hamlets, each with its own feel. The beaches of Viareggio are close, and Lucca lies on the other side of the hills.

Many people choose Massarosa to be near the coast without living in a seaside resort. The Florence to the sea motorway (A11) has a junction in the municipality and the Lucca to Viareggio railway crosses it. The areas differ a great deal, though. The hill villages have narrow lanes and houses built on the slope, often old stone buildings, while the flat land towards the lake is reclaimed marsh, low-lying and criss-crossed by drainage channels, where water needs careful thought.

At the end of 2023 there were 21,865 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 2.1% on 2011. The municipality is slightly younger than the province of Lucca, with an estimated average age of 47.6 against 48.1 and 24.7% of residents over 65 against 26.8%. Foreign nationals make up 4.6%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Within the province, the inland Serchio valleys are more exposed to earthquakes, and 22 municipalities are in zone 2. Massarosa is in seismic zone 3, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.127 g in the built-up area. The hazard is moderate; in farmhouses and village houses, start with the roof, floors and walls, and ask whether any strengthening work has been done.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps here and the report finds the land parcel from the address. Near the lake and the reclamation channels, as on the hillsides, flood and landslide hazard changes from plot to plot and is read for the exact address.

Key points

  • Villages between the Versilia hills and the reclaimed lakeside plain.
  • Junction on the A11 motorway, Lucca to Viareggio railway.
  • Average age 47.6, against 48.1 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected ground acceleration about 0.127 g.

Overview

Massarosa is a municipality in the province of Lucca, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 21,865 residents, ranked 6 of 33 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Massarosa is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 11 of 33 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.127 g, a moderate 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 fallen by 2.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 4.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Massarosa declared an average taxable income of 22,351 euros, below the provincial average (24,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Massarosa is in climate zone D, with 1,433 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 10 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Massarosa has 19 schools and 6 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 13 sports facilities and 7 parks and green areas.

There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).

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 13.4% of the land in Massarosa, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Massarosa is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Massarosa, and one more has been cleaned up or closed. 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 Massarosa: 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 Massarosa 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 77 inhabited census areas in Massarosa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.1%
  • fair 85.2%
  • good 13.7%

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

ISTAT code 046018. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.