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Rottofreno: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Rottofreno

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 Agazzano 1, Rottofreno.

Rottofreno and San Nicolò, on the Trebbia next to Piacenza

Rottofreno has two main centres. The village that gives the municipality its name sits in the Piacenza plain on the road that runs from Piacenza towards Castel San Giovanni and Lombardy. San Nicolò a Trebbia, the largest district, lies on the left bank of the river Trebbia, with only the riverbed between it and Piacenza, so for many residents the city is a few minutes' drive away.

House hunters will mostly find detached houses, terraces and small blocks of flats built over the last few decades around the two centres and the small industrial areas. The rest of the land is farmed countryside with farmsteads and scattered houses. The Trebbia has a wide gravel bed and its flow can rise quickly in a flood, so for a plot near the river the exact position matters, and the report checks the official flood hazard maps at the address.

The population is growing. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 12,286 residents in 2023, up 5.5% on 2011, and the age profile is young for the area: an estimated average age of 44.4 against 46.7 in the province, with over-65s at 20.9% against 25.3%. Foreign residents make up 11.5%. For hospital care, offices and many shops people go to Piacenza, which shows in the data: 0.33 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, against 0.63 for the province.

All 46 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 3. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.093 g, a moderate value. For houses built before the recent earthquake rules it is worth asking for the structural design and checking the roof and floors; for new builds the specification and the energy rating tell you more.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps for Rottofreno, so the report works back from the address to the plot.

Key points

  • San Nicolò a Trebbia, the largest district, faces Piacenza across the river.
  • Population up 5.5% since 2011.
  • Average age 44.4, against 46.7 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, like the whole province of Piacenza.

Overview

Rottofreno is a municipality in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 12,286 residents, among the most populous in the province (4 of 46).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Rottofreno is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. All 46 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.093 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 grown by 5.5%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (47). 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 11.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Rottofreno declared an average taxable income of 26,582 euros, in line with the province (26,934 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Rottofreno is in climate zone E, with 2,720 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 65 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Rottofreno has 7 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 12 sports facilities and 1 green area.

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 14.9% of the land in Rottofreno, compared with 7.7% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 4.2 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Rottofreno 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Rottofreno, and one more has 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 Rottofreno: 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 Rottofreno 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 65 inhabited census areas in Rottofreno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 10.6%
  • good 61.1%
  • very good 28.3%

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 033039. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.