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Prelà: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Prelà

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 Villa Oreggi 1, Prelà.

Prelà, valley and hillside hamlets along the Prino

The Prino stream runs down a narrow valley to the sea at Imperia, and Prelà covers a stretch of its hinterland. The municipality is made up of several hamlets: the town hall is low down, at around 150 metres, while other clusters climb the slopes among terraces and woodland. The coast and the services of Imperia are a drive away along the valley road.

Buyers here often choose a stone village house or a rural building with a patch of terraced land. Before deciding, try the access road, check the dry-stone walls holding up the terraces around the house and ask when the roof and systems were last redone. In climate zone D winters are mild, but houses left closed for long periods get damp.

In 2023 there were 482 residents, 3.6% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 52.9, against 48.7 in the province, and over-65s make up 32.6% (28.5% in the province of Imperia). Foreign residents account for 16.4% of the population. Average declared incomes are below the provincial figure.

Prelà is in seismic zone 2, one step below the highest on the Civil Protection department's national scale, like 30 of the 66 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.159 g. In an old masonry house, check how the walls, floors and roof are tied together and whether any strengthening has been done.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report goes from the address to the land parcel. Along the Prino and on the terraced slopes, flooding and landslides depend on the exact position: the report reads them on the official maps for the address.

Key points

  • Imperia hinterland, along the Prino valley.
  • Foreign residents at 16.4%, over-65s at 32.6%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.159 g.
  • Access, dry-stone walls and roof before buying.

Overview

Prelà is a municipality in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 482 residents, ranked 43 of 66 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Prelà is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 30 of 66 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.159 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Prelà, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 3.6%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (49). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 16.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.6 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Prelà declared an average taxable income of 15,911 euros, below the provincial average (21,487 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Prelà is in climate zone D, with 1,541 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 151 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Prelà has 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.0 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 3.4% of the land in Prelà, compared with 6.4% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Prelà is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 contaminated sites in Prelà.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Prelà: 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 Prelà 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 14 inhabited census areas in Prelà. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 008047. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.