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Palmanova: 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 Palmanova

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: Borgo Udine 1, Palmanova.

Palmanova, Friuli's star-shaped fortress town

Its nine-pointed star plan, with a large hexagonal square in the middle from which the streets radiate, makes Palmanova recognisable even from the air. It is the fortress town built by the Republic of Venice from 1593 onwards, and since 2017 its walls and bastions have been part of the UNESCO site of Venetian defence works. It lies on the Friulian plain, between Udine and the lagoon of Marano and Grado.

For buyers, what matters most is which side of the ramparts you are on. Inside the fortress there are historic palazzi and houses on a regular street grid, with heritage protections that make building work slower and more expensive; outside the walls are the newer districts and outlying hamlets, with detached houses and blocks of flats. The junction of the A4 and A23 motorways is close by, and the station is on the line between Udine and Cervignano.

In 2023 the town had 5,352 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 1.1% since 2011. The average age is 48.5 (48.5 in the province of Udine); over-65s make up 28.3% and foreign residents 9.1%. Palmanova serves the surrounding villages: the municipality has 3 pharmacies and 8 supermarkets, as well as offices and schools serving the whole area.

Friuli knows earthquakes well. Palmanova is in seismic zone 3 of the classification by the Protezione Civile (Civil Protection Department), in a province where 19 municipalities are in zone 1 and 71 in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.150 g. In historic masonry buildings, ask what work has been done on floors, roofs and the ties between walls.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality and the report reaches the plot from the address. On a plain crossed by irrigation channels and canals, it is also worth checking the flood hazard for the individual address.

Key points

  • Nine-pointed Venetian fortress town, a UNESCO site.
  • Heritage rules inside the walls, newer districts outside.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.150 g.
  • 3 pharmacies and 8 supermarkets in town.

Overview

Palmanova is a municipality in the province of Udine, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. At the end of 2023 it had 5,352 residents, ranked 28 of 134 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Palmanova is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 44 of 134 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.150 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 1.1%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Palmanova declared an average taxable income of 26,248 euros, in line with the province (25,508 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Palmanova is in climate zone E, with 2,438 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 27 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Palmanova has 7 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 9 healthcare facilities and 6 sports facilities.

There are 1.7 healthcare facilities 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 23.0% of the land in Palmanova, compared with 6.8% in the province and 8.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 9.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Palmanova is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia in 2024. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 Palmanova.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Palmanova: 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 Palmanova 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 29 inhabited census areas in Palmanova. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 15.9%
  • good 39.8%
  • very good 35.6%
  • excellent 8.7%

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 030070. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.