Porto Tolle: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Rovigo, Veneto. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Porto Tolle
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 Matteotti Giacomo 1, Porto Tolle.
Porto Tolle, between the branches of the Po and the Adriatic
Porto Tolle is the largest municipality in the Po Delta, in the eastern Polesine, and almost all of it lies between the branches of the river and the Adriatic Sea. The main settlement is Ca' Tiepolo, surrounded by hamlets such as Scardovari, Pila, Donzella and Polesine Camerini, separated by embankments, canals and fishing lagoons. The Sacca degli Scardovari is one of Italy's main centres for farming mussels and clams.
The land is at or below sea level, reclaimed from the water: the fields stay dry thanks to embankments and pumping stations that lift water into the canals. For anyone buying a house, this is the first thing to consider. The report reads the official flood maps at the exact address, and it is worth asking about the height of the ground floor and the history of the building.
The population is shrinking. At the end of 2023 Istat, Italy's statistics office, recorded 8,880 residents, down 11.7% on 2011, and the estimated average age is 51.1, above the 49.0 of the province of Rovigo. Over-65s make up 32.3% and foreign residents only 1.8%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average, and house prices are generally modest.
The earthquake hazard is low: all 50 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 3, and Porto Tolle's expected ground acceleration is about 0.057 g. On the soft soils of the Delta, however, foundations matter. Cracks, settlement and uneven floors should be seen by a surveyor before you sign.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report reaches the land parcel. Much of the Delta is a regional park, so if you are thinking of an isolated farmhouse, check with the council what can be renovated or extended.
Key points
- Largest municipality in the Po Delta, centred on Ca' Tiepolo.
- Reclaimed land below sea level: flood hazard needs checking.
- Population down 11.7% since 2011, over-65s at 32.3%.
- Seismic zone 3, low acceleration of about 0.057 g.
Overview
Porto Tolle is a municipality in the province of Rovigo, in Veneto. At the end of 2023 it had 8,880 residents, ranked 7 of 50 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Porto Tolle is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. All 50 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.057 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 fallen by 11.7%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (49). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 1.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Porto Tolle declared an average taxable income of 18,560 euros, below the provincial average (23,221 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Porto Tolle is in climate zone E, with 2,273 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 1 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Porto Tolle has 8 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.
There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).
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 3.5% of the land in Porto Tolle, compared with 8.4% in the province and 11.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Porto Tolle is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Veneto in 2025. 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 Porto Tolle, and 2 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 Porto Tolle: 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 Porto Tolle 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 82 inhabited census areas in Porto Tolle. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 55.2%
- good 37.1%
- very good 7.7%
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
- 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 Veneto, 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 029039. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.