San Possidonio: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in San Possidonio
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 Giacomo Matteotti 1, San Possidonio.
San Possidonio, the Modena lowlands of canals and fields
San Possidonio is a municipality in the Bassa modenese, the low plain between the rivers Secchia and Po, near Mirandola. The land is completely flat, some twenty metres above sea level, and crossed by drainage canals that manage the water in the fields. It is a village of farming and small businesses, relying on the larger towns in the area and on Modena for work and services.
For buyers, the housing stock is made up of detached houses, small villas and low blocks of flats, with many rural houses scattered across the countryside. Old farmhouses with a hay barn are typical of the area, but restoring one requires serious checks on the structure and on planning permits.
In 2023 there were 3,487 residents, down 3.7% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 47.2, slightly above the provincial 45.8. The share of foreign residents is high, 16.4%, a sign of a place where many people come to work on farms and in local firms. Average incomes are below the provincial average.
The province of Modena is split between seismic zones 2 and 3. San Possidonio is in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.140 g. On soft alluvial ground, how a building behaves in an earthquake depends heavily on how it was built: for masonry houses and sheds, ask whether strengthening work has been carried out and what documents prove it.
The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps. On reclaimed land water is the issue to check for each address, and the report looks at the official flood maps.
Key points
- Modena lowlands, reclaimed plain near Mirandola.
- Foreign residents at 16.4%, many here for work.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.140 g.
- 3,487 residents in 2023, down 3.7%.
Overview
San Possidonio is a municipality in the province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 3,487 residents, ranked 34 of 47 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Possidonio is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (40 of 47) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.140 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 3.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 16.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Possidonio declared an average taxable income of 23,196 euros, below the provincial average (27,632 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Possidonio is in climate zone E, with 2,196 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 20 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Possidonio has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility and 3 sports facilities.
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 12.0% of the land in San Possidonio, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Possidonio 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 6 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in San Possidonio, and 2 more have 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 San Possidonio: 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 Possidonio 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 37 inhabited census areas in San Possidonio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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
- 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 Emilia-Romagna, 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 036038. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.