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Riolo Terme: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Riolo Terme

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 Firenze 1, Riolo Terme.

Riolo Terme, a spa town in the Senio valley

The thermal baths gave the town its name and have shaped its recent history. Riolo Terme lies in the Senio valley, where the plain around Castel Bolognese gives way to hills rising towards Casola Valsenio. The centre has a medieval fortress, and just outside town the gypsum outcrops of the Vena del Gesso begin, protected as a regional park. Faenza and Imola, both close by, are where people go for work, secondary schools and hospitals.

The housing mix includes flats in town, recent detached houses and scattered homes in the hills. On the clay slopes of the Romagna hills, landslides are a real issue, and along the Senio the distance from the river matters. Before buying, read the report for the specific address and ask whether the building has suffered damage or had ground stabilisation work.

There were 5,785 residents in 2023, almost exactly as many as in 2011 (up 0.1%), according to Istat, the national statistics office. The mean age is 46.4, slightly below the province of Ravenna's 47.4, with over-65s at 24.9%. Foreign residents make up 14.1%, a high share for a hill town. Declared incomes are a little below the provincial average.

Riolo is in seismic zone 2, like 17 of the 18 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.209 g. The Romagna Apennines have had strong earthquakes over the centuries, so for a masonry house in the centre or a farmhouse, find out whether walls and floors have been strengthened.

The town hall stands at around 100 metres, in climate zone E. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published, so the report can go from the address to the land parcel and the local price band.

Key points

  • Spa town in the Senio valley, between Faenza and Imola.
  • 5,785 residents, stable since 2011 (up 0.1%).
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.209 g.
  • Check slope stability and distance from the river for each address.

Overview

Riolo Terme is a municipality in the province of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 5,785 residents, ranked 14 of 18 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Riolo Terme is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 18) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.209 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Riolo Terme, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 14.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Riolo Terme declared an average taxable income of 23,821 euros, below the provincial average (25,184 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Riolo Terme is in climate zone E, with 2,349 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 98 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Riolo Terme has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 2 healthcare facilities, 7 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.2 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

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 7.1% of the land in Riolo Terme, compared with 10.5% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Riolo Terme 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 no open contaminated sites in Riolo Terme; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Riolo Terme: 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 Riolo Terme 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 30 inhabited census areas in Riolo Terme. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.9%
  • fair 47.2%
  • good 52.0%

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 039015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.