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Pontestura: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pontestura

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: Corso Roma 1, Pontestura.

Pontestura, the Po and the first Monferrato hills

Pontestura is a village in the Casale part of Monferrato, sitting between the river Po and the first hills, west of Casale Monferrato. Part of its land is farmed plain along the river; the rest rises into slopes of vineyards, hazelnut groves and farmhouses. The village centre down below has shops and basic services, while Casale is where people go for secondary schools, hospital and work.

For a buyer, the first choice is between plain and hill. Homes on the flat are convenient but close to the Po and its canals; those on the slopes have more view and less noise but narrower roads. Farmhouses and houses round a courtyard are common, often in need of renovation. Average declared incomes are close to the provincial figure.

Istat, the national statistics office, counts 1,324 residents (2023), 12.2% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 49.7, in line with the province of Alessandria (48.9). Over-65s are 30.4% and foreign residents 6.5%.

Pontestura is in seismic zone 4, the lowest level, along with 59 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is 0.038 g. In country houses the usual issues lie elsewhere: rising damp, old roofs and systems that need redoing.

Near a river like the Po, the precise location counts for more than any village average. The report identifies the land parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps and checks the official flood maps for the address and, on the hills, the landslide maps.

Key points

  • Between the Po and the Monferrato hills, west of Casale.
  • 1,324 residents, down 12.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, the lowest level.
  • Homes on the flat near the Po: check the flood maps.

Overview

Pontestura is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,324 residents, ranked 49 of 187 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pontestura is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 60 of 187 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 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 12.2%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 6.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pontestura declared an average taxable income of 24,022 euros, in line with the province (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pontestura is in climate zone E, with 2,835 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 140 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pontestura has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 7.3% of the land in Pontestura, compared with 7.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Pontestura 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Pontestura, 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 Pontestura: 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 Pontestura 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 13 inhabited census areas in Pontestura. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.4%
  • fair 72.1%
  • good 26.5%

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

ISTAT code 006133. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.