San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Como, Lombardia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna
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 Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna.
San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna, a border valley above Porlezza
Val Cavargna is a narrow valley running down to Porlezza and Lake Lugano, closed at the top by the mountains along the Swiss border. San Bartolomeo is one of its villages, with the town hall above 850 metres, stone houses grouped on the slope and meadows climbing towards the summer pastures.
Buying here means choosing a secluded mountain spot. For secondary schools, shopping and services people drive down to Porlezza and towards Lake Como, on narrow valley roads. The municipality is in climate zone F, and winters weigh on heating bills and on the upkeep of roofs and façades.
In 2023 there were 956 residents, down 8.2% on 2011. The average age is 48.2, against 46.3 in the province of Como, and over-65s make up 25.4%. Foreign residents account for 2.5% and households have 2.27 people on average. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.
Seismic risk is low: the 147 municipalities in the province are all in zone 4 in the Civil Protection classification, and the expected ground acceleration here is 0.039 g. In a steep valley the ground and water matter more. The report measures the elevation and gradient at the house and checks the official landslide and stream flood maps.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality, and the report traces the land parcel. That helps with old barns and mountain huts too, where boundaries and ownership need careful checking before you sign.
Key points
- Village in Val Cavargna, near the Swiss border.
- Population down 8.2% since 2011.
- All 147 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
- Steep valley: check slope, landslides and streams.
Overview
San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna is a municipality in the province of Como, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 956 residents, ranked 106 of 147 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 147 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 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 8.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna declared an average taxable income of 12,557 euros, below the provincial average (26,761 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna is in climate zone F, with 3,279 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 852 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
Public transport
The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 3.4% of the land in San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna, compared with 12.3% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna: 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 San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna 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 7 inhabited census areas in San Bartolomeo Val Cavargna. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 15.0%
- good 85.0%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): Trenord, Regione Lombardia - Trenord, orari ferroviari (GTFS). Licence CC BY 4.0, version 20261111.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Lombardia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2023.
- Contaminated sites, Regione Lombardia. Licence CC0 1.0 (pubblico dominio), updated to 15 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 013204. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.