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Piatto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Piatto

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: Frazione Bielmonte 1, Piatto.

Piatto, a residential hill village near Biella

Piatto is a small hill municipality near Biella, with the town hall at around 380 metres and houses spread between the old core, a few hamlets and detached homes built along the roads. Biella is a short drive away and is the everyday reference for work, schools and services.

The housing is mixed. There are village houses in stone and brick, often on several floors and with a courtyard, and more recent detached homes with gardens. For the former, the roof, damp and systems matter; for the latter, the energy rating and the boiler, since in climate zone E winter is long and heating is the main cost. Sloping roads and varied aspects make a big difference to how much winter sun a house gets.

In 2023 there were 472 residents, 13.7% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age of 50.8 is slightly above the provincial figure (49.7), and over-65s make up 31.8%, against 30.1%. Foreign residents are 2.3%. Average declared incomes are a little above the average for the province of Biella.

The earthquake picture is calm: Piatto is in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection department's national scale, like 49 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.041 g.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report finds the land parcel from the address. On the Biella hills, among slopes and small streams, landslides and flooding depend on the exact position of the house, and the report reads them on the official maps for the address.

Key points

  • Residential hill village near Biella.
  • 472 residents in 2023, average age 50.8.
  • Seismic zone 4, like 49 other municipalities in the province.
  • Aspect and heating weigh on the choice of house.

Overview

Piatto is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 472 residents, ranked 58 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Piatto is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.041 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 13.7%. The estimated average age is 51 years, in line with the province. 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Piatto declared an average taxable income of 26,174 euros, in line with the province (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Piatto is in climate zone E, with 2,802 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 383 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Piatto has 1 school. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 7.0% of the land in Piatto, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Piatto 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 contaminated sites in Piatto.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Piatto: 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 Piatto 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 11 inhabited census areas in Piatto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 096043. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.