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Signa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Signa

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 Roma 1, Signa.

Signa, where the Bisenzio meets the Arno

The Bisenzio flows into the Arno right at Signa, on the river's right bank west of Florence, not far from the Gonfolina gorge. It is a small municipality by area but densely populated, with the old hilltop quarter known as the Castello, the centre along the river and the village of San Mauro a Signa further downstream. It was once known for plaited straw and hats; today it is part of the Florence plain, with craft workshops, logistics and services.

For Florence there is the station on the line to Empoli and Pisa, while the Florence-Pisa-Livorno dual carriageway runs on the opposite bank. The Renai park, with small lakes left by old gravel pits, is the largest green space in the municipality. Buyers will mostly find flats in apartment blocks and terraced houses.

Signa is growing fast: 19,013 residents at the end of 2023, up 9.0% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. It is younger than the province of Florence, with an estimated average age of 45.1 against 47.3 and over-65s at 21.9% against 26.1%. Foreign nationals make up 14.7%, a high share, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Water is the main issue. The Arno, the Bisenzio and the canals of the plain leave part of the area exposed to flooding, and flood defences reduce the hazard without removing it. Before buying a ground-floor flat or a house with a basement, read the official maps for the exact address, which the report includes together with the land parcel found on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Earthquake hazard is moderate: in the province, 13 municipalities are in zone 2 of the Civil Protection Department's classification, in the Apennines, and 28 in zone 3. Signa is in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.129 g. In the post-war blocks common on the plain, it is still worth asking for the structural paperwork.

Key points

  • Where the Bisenzio meets the Arno, trains to Florence and Empoli.
  • Population up 9.0% since 2011.
  • Flooding: check the maps for the exact address.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.129 g.

Overview

Signa is a municipality in the province of Firenze, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 19,013 residents, ranked 11 of 41 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Signa is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (28 of 41) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.129 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 9.0%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (47). 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 14.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Signa declared an average taxable income of 23,274 euros, below the provincial average (27,023 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Signa is in climate zone D, with 1,754 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 46 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Signa has 11 schools and 6 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 19 sports facilities and 5 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).

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 21.0% of the land in Signa, compared with 7.4% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Signa is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 5 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Signa, 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 Signa: 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 Signa 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 71 inhabited census areas in Signa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.8%
  • fair 69.2%
  • good 29.0%

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

ISTAT code 048044. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.