Podenzano: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Podenzano
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 Roma 2, Podenzano.
Podenzano, the Nure plain south of Piacenza
Along the Nure stream, where the Piacenza plain starts to narrow towards the hills of the Nure valley, Podenzano lies on the road that runs from Piacenza up towards the Nure valley. The city is about ten kilometres away and many residents commute there daily. The municipality includes hamlets such as San Polo and Gariga, with houses scattered among fields of tomatoes, maize and fodder.
By population it is number 5 in the province, and in recent decades it has grown as a residential town in Piacenza's commuter belt. Homes are mainly detached and semi-detached houses and small recent blocks, plus a few restored courtyard farmhouses. Overture lists 8 supermarkets, above the provincial average per resident, and 6 schools.
At the end of 2023 there were 9,086 residents, up 1.1% on 2011. The estimated average age of 46.1 is a little below the provincial figure, and over-65s make up 23.7% against 25.3% across the province. Foreign residents account for 8.7%. Declared incomes are in line with the province.
All 46 municipalities in the province of Piacenza are in seismic zone 3 on the Civil Protection scale, and in Podenzano expected ground acceleration is about 0.100 g, a medium to low value. For a 1970s house, ask about the state of the roof and floors, and for a farmhouse to restore, budget for structural improvements too.
The Nure, like all Apennine streams, can rise quickly after heavy rain: homes near its course and the irrigation canals should be checked for flooding. The report reads the official maps at the address and, with the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps, traces the plot.
Key points
- Nure plain south of Piacenza, with San Polo and Gariga.
- Number 5 in the province, up 1.1% since 2011.
- Whole province in seismic zone 3; acceleration about 0.100 g.
- Homes near the Nure: flood hazard checked by address.
Overview
Podenzano is a municipality in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 9,086 residents, among the most populous in the province (5 of 46).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Podenzano is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. All 46 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.100 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 grown by 1.1%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 8.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Podenzano declared an average taxable income of 27,060 euros, in line with the province (26,934 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Podenzano is in climate zone E, with 2,687 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 118 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Podenzano has 6 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 5 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.7 schools 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 13.6% of the land in Podenzano, compared with 7.7% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Podenzano 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Podenzano, 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 Podenzano: 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 Podenzano 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 85 inhabited census areas in Podenzano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 2.4%
- fair 62.1%
- good 35.5%
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 Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- 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 033035. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.