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Moncestino: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Moncestino

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, Moncestino.

Moncestino, Monferrato hills above the Po plain

Moncestino sits on the first hills of the Monferrato looking out over the Po plain, at around 300 metres. It is a municipality of a few clustered houses and farmsteads along the ridges, with the countryside sloping down towards the river. For the hospital, secondary schools and shopping, the nearest reference in the province is Casale Monferrato.

The village has lost residents in recent years: in 2023 there were 191, down 16.2% from 228 in 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. In terms of age, Moncestino looks much like the rest of the province of Alessandria: the estimated average age is 51.2 against 48.9, and over-65s make up 28.8% against 28.6%. Foreign residents account for 11.0%.

Homes for sale are mainly rural buildings and village houses with courtyards, often large and with parts such as barns and stables that have not been lived in for years. Turning them into living space needs a project and permits from the municipality, which you should check before signing a preliminary contract. On the ridges, look at rainwater drainage and retaining walls; climate zone E brings cold, damp winters, so insulation and the boiler matter.

For earthquakes, Moncestino is in zone 4, the lowest class in the Civil Protection classification, like 60 of the 187 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.038 g.

The report for the address checks the official landslide and flood maps for the individual plot, useful both on the slopes and towards the river plain, and finds the land parcel on the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps.

Key points

  • First Monferrato hills, looking over the Po plain.
  • 191 residents in 2023, down 16.2% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 28.8%, in line with the province (28.6%).
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.038 g.

Overview

Moncestino is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 191 residents, among the smallest in the province (173 of 187).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Moncestino is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 60 of 187 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 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 fallen by 16.2%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (49). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 11.0% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Moncestino declared an average taxable income of 22,320 euros, below the provincial average (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Moncestino is in climate zone E, with 2,723 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 287 metres above sea level.

Services

In the Overture Maps data, Moncestino has 1 sports facility.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.0 per 1,000 residents.

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 3.8% of the land in Moncestino, compared with 7.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Moncestino is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Moncestino.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Moncestino: 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 Moncestino 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 11 inhabited census areas in Moncestino. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 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 006099. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.