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Palestro: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Palestro

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, Palestro.

Palestro, Lomellina rice fields and the 1859 battle

Palestro's name is in the history books for the battle of 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence, remembered by an ossuary on the edge of the village. Today it is a municipality in the Lomellina, in the western part of the province of Pavia, on the rice-growing plain near the Sesia, at about 120 metres above sea level. Vercelli and Mortara are the nearest towns.

The village has train and bus services, useful for anyone working in Vercelli or travelling to Milan. The market consists of village houses with courtyards, detached homes and farmsteads (cascine). Lomellina cascine are large and often partly abandoned: before buying, check the permitted use of the barns and haylofts and the cost of restoring very large roofs.

There were 1,827 residents in 2023, down 3.1% on 2011. The average age is 48.3 against 47.1 in the province, over-65s make up 29.2% and foreign residents 8.9%. Incomes are below the provincial average.

The earthquake hazard is low: Palestro is in seismic zone 4, like 26 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.037 g. Among the rice fields what matters more is ground moisture rising into the walls of old houses.

Near the Sesia and the irrigation canals, where the house stands relative to flood-prone areas is an important detail. From the address, the report identifies the land parcel on the Revenue Agency cadastral maps and checks the official flood hazard maps.

Key points

  • Lomellina rice country, site of the 1859 battle.
  • Village served by train and bus.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.037 g.
  • Near the Sesia: flood-prone areas and damp walls.

Overview

Palestro is a municipality in the province of Pavia, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,827 residents, ranked 58 of 184 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Palestro is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 27 of 184 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.037 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 3.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 8.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Palestro declared an average taxable income of 23,949 euros, below the provincial average (26,290 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Palestro is in climate zone E, with 2,614 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 121 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Palestro has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 1.1 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 1 bus line, 1 train line. That is about 0.5 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 7.8% of the land in Palestro, compared with 9.6% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Palestro is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia 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 Palestro.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Palestro: 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 Palestro 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 15 inhabited census areas in Palestro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 77 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 6.2%
  • good 79.1%
  • very good 14.7%

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 018107. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.