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Pettenasco: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pettenasco

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: Corso Roma 1, Pettenasco.

Pettenasco, the eastern shore of Lake Orta

On the eastern shore of Lake Orta, between Omegna and Orta San Giulio, Pettenasco runs down the hillside to the water. The village looks across to the island of San Giulio, and the lakefront has small beaches and landing stages. Behind it, woods climb towards the Mottarone.

Lake Orta is smaller and more enclosed than nearby Lake Maggiore. Alongside the homes of year-round residents there are second homes, and for work many look to Omegna and Borgomanero. There are lakeside villas, village houses and flats in small blocks. For homes on the shore, check damp and foundations; for those on the hill, access and gradients. Average declared incomes are above the average for the province of Novara.

There are 1,305 residents (2023), 4.6% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 47.9, a little above the provincial 46.7, and over-65s are 27.3%, against 24.9% across the province. Foreign residents make up 3.5%.

Earthquake risk is low: all 87 municipalities in the province of Novara are in zone 4, and the expected acceleration here is 0.044 g. Roof, systems and insulation matter more than earthquakes, as winters are cold (climate zone E).

Between the lakeshore and the streams coming down the hill, situations differ. Starting from the address, the report finds the land parcel and reads the official flood and landslide maps for that plot.

Key points

  • Eastern shore of Lake Orta, looking across to San Giulio island.
  • 1,305 residents, incomes above the provincial average.
  • All 87 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Shore or hillside homes: floods and landslides by address.

Overview

Pettenasco is a municipality in the province of Novara, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,305 residents, ranked 54 of 87 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pettenasco is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 87 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.044 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 4.6%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pettenasco declared an average taxable income of 30,625 euros, above the provincial average (26,949 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pettenasco is in climate zone E, with 2,693 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 299 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pettenasco has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 8.1% of the land in Pettenasco, compared with 11.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Pettenasco 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 open contaminated sites in Pettenasco; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pettenasco: 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 Pettenasco 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 17 inhabited census areas in Pettenasco. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 12.9%
  • fair 87.1%

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 003116. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.