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Roppolo: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Roppolo

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 al Castello 1, Roppolo.

Roppolo, a castle in the hills above Lake Viverone

On the southern edge of the province of Biella, where the long glacial ridge known as the Serra drops towards the plain, Roppolo looks down on Lake Viverone. Its castle, clearly visible from the road, stands over a small village made up of an old core on the hill and scattered houses among vineyards, woods and meadows sloping down towards the lake.

People looking here usually want space and a view: detached houses with gardens, converted farmhouses, the odd house in the old centre needing work. It is hill country rather than mountains, at around 300 metres, and climate zone E means cold, foggy winters. Houses close to the lake and those on the steepest slopes deserve a separate check, as water and gradient can change the picture over a short distance.

According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 825 residents in 2023, down 10.4% on 2011. The average age is 51.6 against 49.7 in the province, and over-65s make up 34.5% (30.1% across the Biella area). Foreign residents account for 5.2%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.

Seismic hazard is low. Roppolo is in zone 4 on the Civil Protection scale, like 50 municipalities in the province, while the other 24 are in zone 3; expected ground acceleration is about 0.039 g. In older houses, damp walls, the roof and the energy rating matter more.

The report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the exact address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps here, so the report finds the land parcel from the address.

Key points

  • Glacial ridge of the Serra, overlooking Lake Viverone.
  • Residents down 10.4% since 2011, over-65s at 34.5%.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.039 g.
  • Lakeside or sloping houses to be checked one by one.

Overview

Roppolo is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 825 residents, ranked 46 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Roppolo is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 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 10.4%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (50). 35% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 5.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Roppolo declared an average taxable income of 23,373 euros, below the provincial average (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Roppolo is in climate zone E, with 2,704 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 307 metres above sea level.

Services

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

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 5.2% of the land in Roppolo, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Roppolo 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 no contaminated sites in Roppolo.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Roppolo: 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 Roppolo 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 23 inhabited census areas in Roppolo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 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 096054. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.