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Pianoro: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pianoro

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 Nazionale 1, Pianoro.

Pianoro, the Savena valley on the road to the Futa pass

Pianoro climbs the Savena valley south of Bologna, along the old Futa road that leads over the Apennines into Tuscany. The municipality starts almost at the city's edge, with Rastignano, and continues through valley floor and Apennine hills. In the Second World War the Gothic Line front came to a halt on these heights for months, and the main village you see today was largely rebuilt after the war.

For those working in Bologna, the links are the valley road and the railway to Florence, which has stops within the municipality. Life varies a lot depending on where you buy. On the valley floor there are small blocks of flats, shops and services; in the hills, scattered houses, hamlets and villas, with more greenery but narrow roads and longer journeys. In winter the higher areas can get snow and ice.

At the end of 2023 there were 17,746 residents, up 5.1% on 2011, or 856 more people. The population is older than the metropolitan area's: estimated average age 47.9 against 46.6, over-65s at 27.0% against 24.8%. Foreign residents account for 9.3%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.

Pianoro is in seismic zone 3 of the Civil Protection Department's classification, like 42 other municipalities around Bologna, while 12 are in zone 2. Its expected ground acceleration in the built-up area, about 0.169 g, is nonetheless higher than in many towns on the plain. For a post-war building, ask for the structural design and whether any strengthening has been done.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report reaches the plot from the address. On the clay hills of the valley landslides are the main issue, and along the Savena flood hazard matters; both are checked for the individual plot before buying.

Key points

  • Savena valley, south of Bologna on the Futa road.
  • 17,746 residents, up 5.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, but expected acceleration about 0.169 g.
  • Landslides on the clay hills: to be checked plot by plot.

Overview

Pianoro is a municipality in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 17,746 residents, ranked 11 of 55 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pianoro is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (43 of 55) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.169 g, a medium-high 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 grown by 5.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 9.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pianoro declared an average taxable income of 29,961 euros, in line with the province (29,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pianoro is in climate zone E, with 2,441 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 200 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pianoro has 9 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 22 sports facilities and 6 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).

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 5.9% of the land in Pianoro, compared with 9.0% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Pianoro is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 5 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Pianoro, and 3 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pianoro: 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 Pianoro 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 141 inhabited census areas in Pianoro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 20.6%
  • fair 65.1%
  • good 14.2%

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 037047. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.