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Mottalciata: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Mottalciata

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, Mottalciata.

Mottalciata, the Biella plain towards the rice fields

In the lower part of the province of Biella, where the hills give way to the plain and the rice fields of the Vercelli area begin, lies Mottalciata. The land is flat and agricultural, with farmsteads and fields of rice and cereals. Biella is about twenty minutes away by car and for many residents it is the place for work and services.

The figures describe a village losing people: 1,299 residents in 2023, 9.2% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 48.2, a little below the 49.7 of the province of Biella, and over-65s are 27.0% against 30.1% provincially. Foreign residents are 3.1%.

Homes for sale are mainly detached houses with courtyards and farmsteads, often large. A rustic property on the plain may look like good value, but factor in the cost of bringing it up to standard: climate zone E, cold damp winters and frequent fog. The roof, insulation and systems make the difference between a bargain and an ongoing expense.

Seismic risk is low. In the province 24 municipalities are in zone 3 and 50 in zone 4: Mottalciata is in zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.039 g.

On an irrigated plain the useful check is about water: canals, ditches and streams can affect some plots and not others. The report checks the official flood maps for the exact address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, finds the land parcel.

Key points

  • Southern Biella plain, towards the Vercelli rice fields.
  • Population down 9.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.039 g.
  • Farmsteads and courtyard houses: assess systems and roof.

Overview

Mottalciata is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,299 residents, ranked 32 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Mottalciata is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 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 9.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, lower than the province average (50). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Mottalciata declared an average taxable income of 24,027 euros, in line with the province (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Mottalciata is in climate zone E, with 2,568 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 203 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Mottalciata has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 1.5 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 7.4% of the land in Mottalciata, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 6.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Mottalciata 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 Mottalciata.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Mottalciata: 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 Mottalciata 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 31 inhabited census areas in Mottalciata. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 65.5%
  • good 34.5%

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 096037. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.