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Poggio Renatico: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Poggio Renatico

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 Coronella 2, Poggio Renatico.

Poggio Renatico, the Ferrara plain on the river Reno

The river Reno marks the southern edge of Poggio Renatico and, with it, the border between the provinces of Ferrara and Bologna. The town lies on open plain about ten metres above sea level, among wide fields, drainage canals and embankments. Ferrara is some twenty kilometres to the north and Bologna just over half an hour to the south, and many residents split their working lives between the two cities.

The village is compact around its centre, with hamlets such as Gallo and scattered houses along the provincial roads. The housing is made up of low houses, detached homes and small blocks built in several phases, with old farmhouses scattered across the countryside. For buyers, two things to look at straight away: how high the land sits compared with canals and embankments, and the year of construction.

On such low ground, water is the first risk. The report reads the official flood maps at the exact address, and it is worth asking the seller whether the cellar or ground floor has ever taken on water.

Then there is earthquake risk. On the Emilian plain it is higher than the landscape suggests: Poggio Renatico is in seismic zone 3 on the Civil Protection scale, like almost all of the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.153 g. For industrial buildings and masonry houses, ask about any strengthening work done in recent years and the paperwork behind it.

The population is steady: 9,760 residents at the end of 2023, up 0.9% on 2011. Compared with one of the oldest provinces in Italy, the town is young, with an average age of 46.0 against 49.2 and over-65s at 23.3% against 28.9%. Foreign residents make up 11.3%. Cadastral maps are published and the report traces the land parcel from the street number.

Key points

  • Flat land on the Reno, between Ferrara and Bologna.
  • Average age 46.0, against 49.2 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.153 g.
  • Low ground among canals and embankments: check flood hazard.

Overview

Poggio Renatico is a municipality in the province of Ferrara, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 9,760 residents, ranked 10 of 21 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Poggio Renatico is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (20 of 21) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.153 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (49). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 11.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Poggio Renatico declared an average taxable income of 23,971 euros, in line with the province (24,414 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Poggio Renatico 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 10 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Poggio Renatico has 6 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 7 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 8.0% of the land in Poggio Renatico, compared with 7.2% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 29.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Poggio Renatico 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 Poggio Renatico, and one more has 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 Poggio Renatico: 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 Poggio Renatico 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 50 inhabited census areas in Poggio Renatico. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 9.3%
  • fair 90.7%

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 038018. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.