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Massiola: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Massiola

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 Martiri della Liberta' 1, Massiola.

Massiola, a Valle Strona village above Omegna

The Valle Strona runs down towards Omegna and Lake Orta, and Massiola is one of the villages on its slopes, at around seven hundred and seventy metres. It is a narrow green valley with thick woods, streams and stone houses roofed with stone slabs. Omegna, on the valley floor, is the town people rely on for work, schools and shops, and from there Lake Maggiore and the motorway are within reach.

For a buyer, Massiola offers mountain houses within reasonable reach of the lakes. The things to look at are those of any valley house: the stone roof, which is heavy and expensive to redo, damp, heating in climate zone F, and the road in winter.

In 2023 there were 110 residents, against 137 in 2011, a fall of 19.7%, according to Istat, Italy's national statistics office. The estimated average age, 50.3, is close to the 49.0 of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, and over-65s, at 27.3%, are in line with the rest of the province. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is low. In the province 28 municipalities are in zone 3 and 46 in zone 4 of the Civil Protection Department's scale; Massiola is in zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.053 g.

In a valley this deep, the risk to watch is a different one: steep slopes and mountain streams. The report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published and lead to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Village in the Valle Strona, the valley that runs down to Omegna.
  • 110 residents in 2023, down 19.7% since 2011.
  • Average age 50.3, close to 49.0 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4; slopes and streams matter more.

Overview

Massiola is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 110 residents, among the smallest in the province (72 of 74).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Massiola is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (46 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.053 g, a moderate 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 fallen by 19.7%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 0.0% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Massiola declared an average taxable income of 19,507 euros, below the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Massiola is in climate zone F, with 3,308 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 772 metres above sea level.

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 1.2% of the land in Massiola, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Massiola is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 contaminated sites in Massiola.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Massiola: 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 Massiola 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 5 inhabited census areas in Massiola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 103043. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.