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San Benedetto Po: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in San Benedetto Po

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: Strada Villa Garibaldi 1, San Benedetto Po.

San Benedetto Po, Polirone abbey and the Mantuan Oltrepò

San Benedetto Po grew up around the abbey of Polirone, the great Benedictine monastery where Matilda of Canossa was buried before her remains were moved to Rome. The town lies on the south bank of the Po, in the part of the province known as the Oltrepò mantovano, some twenty kilometres south-east of Mantua, amid farmland enclosed by the river embankments.

The centre, gathered round the monastery square, is compact; beyond it are hamlets and scattered country houses. Most of what is for sale is detached houses, old farm courtyards needing renovation and small blocks of flats, generally cheaper than in Mantua.

The town has lost many residents in recent years: 6,683 at the end of 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 13.5% on 2011. The estimated average age is 49.1 against 46.4 for the province of Mantua, and over-65s make up 28.3%. Foreign residents account for 10.4%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Almost every municipality in the province of Mantua is in seismic zone 3 of the Civil Protection classification, San Benedetto included; 5 are in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.090 g. On the soft soils of the Po lowlands, old brick buildings suffer in earthquakes more than the zone alone suggests, so before buying a historic house or a farm courtyard ask whether it has been strengthened and what paperwork covers the work.

The Po flows right by the town, held back by the main embankments. In low-lying areas and near the floodplain between the banks, flood hazard needs checking for the address, which the report does with the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published and the plot is found from the address.

Key points

  • Polirone abbey, on the south bank of the Po.
  • Population down 13.5% since 2011.
  • Average age 49.1, above the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.090 g.

Overview

San Benedetto Po is a municipality in the province of Mantova, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,683 residents, ranked 19 of 64 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Benedetto Po is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (59 of 64) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.090 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 fallen by 13.5%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (46). 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 10.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Benedetto Po declared an average taxable income of 23,419 euros, below the provincial average (25,367 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

San Benedetto Po is in climate zone E, with 2,388 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 19 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Benedetto Po has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 0.1 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops. That is about 0.1 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 7.9% of the land in San Benedetto Po, compared with 10.7% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

San Benedetto Po is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia 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 San Benedetto Po.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Benedetto Po: 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 Benedetto Po 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 108 inhabited census areas in San Benedetto Po. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 4.9%
  • fair 83.2%
  • good 11.9%

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 020055. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.