San Colombano Certenoli: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Genova, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in San Colombano Certenoli
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 Cuneo Domenico 4, San Colombano Certenoli.
San Colombano Certenoli, the Fontanabuona valley behind Chiavari
From the seafront at Chiavari you only need to drive a few kilometres up the valley to reach San Colombano Certenoli, in the lower Val Fontanabuona, along the Lavagna stream. The municipality has no single centre. It is made up of many hamlets, some on the valley floor along the main road and others scattered on the slopes among chestnut and olive trees. In Liguria the valley is known for working slate.
For buyers the location is appealing: you live inland, with more space and different costs from the coast, and the Tigullio coast is a short drive away. On the valley floor there are small blocks of flats and houses with gardens, easier for commuting. On the slopes there are stone houses with land, often with narrow, steep access. Declared incomes are below the average for the Genoa area.
Istat, Italy's national statistics office, counts 2,666 residents (2023), an almost stable population, down 0.8% since 2011. For Liguria the town is young: an average age of 47.3 against 49.0 in the province, with over-65s at 26.0% against 29.1%. Foreign residents make up 6.5%.
On earthquakes, San Colombano is in seismic zone 3, like 63 other municipalities in the Genoa metropolitan area, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.102 g. In stone houses, ask about the condition of roofs and floors.
With the stream below and steep slopes around, flood and landslide conditions have to be judged address by address, and the report does this with the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre is published and links the address to its land parcel.
Key points
- Lower Val Fontanabuona, inland from Chiavari
- Hamlets on the valley floor and slopes of the Lavagna
- Average age 47.3, against 49.0 in the province
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.102 g
Overview
San Colombano Certenoli is a municipality in the province of Genova, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 2,666 residents, ranked 27 of 67 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Colombano Certenoli is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 67) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.102 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, lower than the province average (49). 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 6.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Colombano Certenoli declared an average taxable income of 21,361 euros, below the provincial average (26,655 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Colombano Certenoli is in climate zone D, with 1,500 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 45 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Colombano Certenoli has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 4.7% of the land in San Colombano Certenoli, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Colombano Certenoli is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. 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 Colombano Certenoli.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Colombano Certenoli: 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 Colombano Certenoli 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 68 inhabited census areas in San Colombano Certenoli. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 55 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 20.0%
- fair 80.0%
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.
- 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 Liguria, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 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 010053. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.