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Porto Valtravaglia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Porto Valtravaglia

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: Parco Hermitage 1, Porto Valtravaglia.

Porto Valtravaglia, on the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore

Porto Valtravaglia faces the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, the Lombard side, between Luino and Laveno. The village has a small harbour and a lakefront, while behind it the land rises steeply to the hills and woods of the Valtravaglia, with hamlets at different heights. Varese is the provincial capital, and Switzerland is close by.

There is a railway: the line running along the lake shore stops in the village, and the data list 2 public transport points. That helps people working in Luino, Laveno or further south. Homes range from old buildings near the lake to detached houses with views on the slopes, and holiday homes for summer visitors. On the shore the report checks the official flood maps, and on the hillsides the landslide maps.

Istat, the national statistics institute, counts 2,274 residents in 2023, down 3.2% since 2011. The average age is 48.5, above the 46.5 of the province of Varese, and foreign residents make up 6.9%. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

Earthquakes are a minor concern: all 136 municipalities in the province of Varese are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class set by the Civil Protection Department, and the expected ground acceleration here is 0.041 g. In older houses near the lake, damp, the condition of the walls and the systems matter more.

The climate is zone E, softened by the lake. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report reaches the plot from the address.

Key points

  • Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, between Luino and Laveno.
  • Railway station on the lakeside line.
  • All 136 Varese municipalities in seismic zone 4.
  • Residents down 3.2% since 2011.

Overview

Porto Valtravaglia is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 2,274 residents, ranked 90 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Porto Valtravaglia is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.041 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 3.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Porto Valtravaglia declared an average taxable income of 21,532 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Porto Valtravaglia is in climate zone E, with 2,425 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 199 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Porto Valtravaglia has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 2 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 1.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.4 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 7.4% of the land in Porto Valtravaglia, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Porto Valtravaglia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia 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 no open contaminated sites in Porto Valtravaglia; 3 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Porto Valtravaglia: 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 Valtravaglia 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 21 inhabited census areas in Porto Valtravaglia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.9%
  • fair 76.2%
  • good 20.9%

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 012114. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.