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Ovaro: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ovaro

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 Caduti Due Maggio 1, Ovaro.

Ovaro, Val Degano in Carnia and the Zoncolan climb

Ovaro is a municipality in Val Degano, in Carnia, the mountainous part of Friuli north of Tolmezzo. The village lies on the valley floor at around 500 metres, and the territory includes many hamlets spread over both slopes, some small and high up. The road up Monte Zoncolan that cycling fans know from stages of the Giro d'Italia starts here. Tolmezzo is the reference for the hospital, secondary schools and offices.

For buyers the area offers traditional Carnic houses in stone and timber, often needing restoration, buildings on the valley floor and newer homes. In the higher hamlets, winter access, sun exposure and distance from services all count. The climate zone is F, with long, cold winters and significant heating costs.

The population is falling and ageing. Istat, the national statistics office, counts 1,727 residents in 2023, down 14.1% since 2011; the average age is 52.3 against 48.5 in the province of Udine, and over-65s make up 34.7%. Households average 2.07 people and foreign residents are 2.9%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquakes deserve attention. Ovaro is in seismic zone 2, like 70 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.188 g. For a stone house, it is worth asking whether it was rebuilt or strengthened, and with what permits.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps. On the valley floor the report checks the official flood maps along the Degano for the address; on the slopes, the gradient and the landslide maps.

Key points

  • Val Degano municipality in Carnia, on the valley floor and slopes.
  • Starting point of the Giro d'Italia climb up Monte Zoncolan.
  • Residents down 14.1% since 2011, over-65s at 34.7%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.188 g.

Overview

Ovaro is a municipality in the province of Udine, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,727 residents, ranked 80 of 134 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ovaro is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (71 of 134) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.188 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Ovaro, 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 resident population has fallen by 14.1%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (49). 35% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ovaro declared an average taxable income of 23,825 euros, below the provincial average (25,508 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ovaro is in climate zone F, with 3,386 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 525 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ovaro has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 1.7 schools per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.1).

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 2.9% of the land in Ovaro, compared with 6.8% in the province and 8.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ovaro is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia in 2024. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is high. 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 Ovaro.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ovaro: 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 Ovaro 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 25 inhabited census areas in Ovaro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.7%
  • fair 98.3%

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 030067. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.