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Montecastello: 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 Montecastello

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 Umberto Primo 1, Montecastello.

Montecastello, on the hill above the Tanaro plain

A short way from Alessandria, Montecastello stands on a hill rising above the Tanaro plain, with the village on top and farmland at its foot. For people working in the city the location is handy: Alessandria, with its station and links to Turin, Milan and Genoa, is a few minutes away by car.

The market includes brick village houses, small detached homes and farmhouses on the plain. The two areas raise different questions. On the hill, ground stability, cracks and retaining walls matter; lower down, near the river, flooding is the first check, and the report looks at the official maps for the exact address. Climate zone E means cold, foggy winters.

In 2023 there were 277 residents, 47 fewer than the 324 of 2011, a fall of 14.5%. The estimated average age is 52.1, against 48.9 in the province of Alessandria, and over-65s make up 29.6%, close to the provincial 28.6%. Foreign residents account for 3.6%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.

The municipality is in seismic zone 3, like 127 of the 187 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.061 g, a low value. For a brick house built in several stages it is still worth having a surveyor check the roof and how the parts are joined.

Revenue Agency cadastral maps are published, and the report measures distances from the house to schools, pharmacies and bus stops.

Key points

  • Hill above the Tanaro plain, minutes from Alessandria.
  • Lower down check flooding, on the hill check the ground.
  • 277 residents, down 14.5% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.061 g.

Overview

Montecastello is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 277 residents, ranked 161 of 187 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montecastello is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (127 of 187) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.061 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 14.5%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (49). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.6% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montecastello declared an average taxable income of 24,233 euros, in line with the province (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Montecastello is in climate zone E, with 2,577 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 116 metres above sea level.

Services

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 Montecastello, 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

Montecastello 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 Montecastello.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montecastello: 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 Montecastello 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 7 inhabited census areas in Montecastello. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 47 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 92.1%
  • fair 7.9%

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 006105. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.