Podenzana: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, Toscana. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Podenzana
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: Strada Provinciale Podenzana 14 1, Podenzana.
Podenzana, the castle and the panigacci of Lunigiana
In Lunigiana, the Magra valley at the far northern tip of Tuscany, Podenzana covers the hills above Aulla, with the Malaspina castle overlooking the valley. The village's name is tied to panigacci, small flatbreads baked in terracotta dishes, which are something of a local emblem. La Spezia and the sea are a short drive away, and many residents work around Aulla, Sarzana and the province of La Spezia.
Homes are spread across small hill hamlets, stone villages and newer streets along the roads down to the valley. Buying on the hills gives views and quiet, but look at the slope, dry stone walls and access; in stretches near the valley floor, check the official flood maps in the report. The climate zone is E.
According to Istat, the Italian national statistics office, there were 2,104 residents in 2023, down 1.8% on 2011, almost stable. The average age is 48.0, below the 49.2 of the province of Massa-Carrara, and over-65s make up 25.5%. Foreign residents account for 6.4%. Declared incomes are a little below the provincial average.
Podenzana is in seismic zone 2, like 13 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.157 g. For a stone house, find out whether strengthening work has been done and ask a surveyor to assess walls and floors.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps: the report goes from the address to the plot and adds the official landslide maps for that spot.
Key points
- Hills above Aulla in Lunigiana, with the Malaspina castle.
- La Spezia and the coast within driving distance.
- 2,104 residents, almost stable since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.157 g.
Overview
Podenzana is a municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 2,104 residents, ranked 12 of 17 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Podenzana is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (14 of 17) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.157 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Podenzana, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 1.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 6.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Podenzana declared an average taxable income of 22,296 euros, below the provincial average (23,864 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Podenzana is in climate zone E, with 2,280 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 312 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Podenzana has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets 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 7.6% of the land in Podenzana, compared with 7.3% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Podenzana is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Podenzana. 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 Podenzana: 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 Podenzana 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 34 inhabited census areas in Podenzana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 6.9%
- fair 91.6%
- good 1.5%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Toscana, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 045013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.