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Meldola: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Meldola

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 Roma 1, Meldola.

Meldola, a castle town where the Bidente leaves the hills

Meldola stands where the river Bidente comes out of the hills and opens towards the plain of Forlì, about fifteen kilometres away. The castle, known as the rocca, overlooks the town, and the Ponte dei Veneziani bridge over the river is one of its landmarks. The municipality climbs from the valley floor into the first ridges of the Romagna Apennines, with scattered houses, vineyards and fields.

As well as a farming centre, Meldola carries more weight in healthcare than its size would suggest. It is home to IRST, the Romagna cancer research and treatment institute, which draws patients and staff from across the region. The Overture Maps data reflect this: 7 healthcare facilities, 0.70 per 1,000 residents against 0.60 in the province.

The population has barely moved: 9,967 residents in 2023, down 0.3% on 2011. The estimated average age is 46.6, close to the province of Forlì-Cesena, and over-65s make up 25.5%. Foreign residents, at 12.5%, are a fairly high share for a hill town.

Earthquakes are the point not to underestimate. All 30 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 2, and the expected ground acceleration in Meldola is about 0.208 g, a high value. For a house in the old centre or one built before the 1980s, ask for the structural design, any seismic upgrading and the permits for past work.

River and hills shape the rest. Houses on the Bidente valley floor should be checked for flooding, those on the slopes for landslides, which are common in the clay soils of the Romagna Apennines. The report reads the official maps for the exact address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, traces the plot.

Key points

  • On the Bidente, where the valley opens towards Forlì, below the castle.
  • Home of the IRST cancer institute: 0.70 health sites per 1,000 people.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.208 g.
  • Flooding on the valley floor, landslides on the slopes: check the address.

Overview

Meldola is a municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 9,967 residents, ranked 9 of 30 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Meldola is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 30 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.208 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Meldola, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 12.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Meldola declared an average taxable income of 23,288 euros, in line with the province (24,445 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Meldola is in climate zone E, with 2,225 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 58 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Meldola has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities and 7 sports facilities.

There are 0.5 schools 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 6.5% of the land in Meldola, compared with 7.4% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Meldola 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 Meldola, 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 Meldola: 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 Meldola 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 64 inhabited census areas in Meldola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 11.7%
  • fair 63.1%
  • good 25.2%

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 040019. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.