Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Valganna: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Valganna

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 Garibaldi 1, Valganna.

Valganna, the valley of small lakes between Varese and Lugano

Valganna takes its name from the valley that climbs from Varese towards the Swiss border and Lake Lugano. The municipality is made up of hamlets spread along the valley floor and the wooded slopes, with the small lakes of Ganna and Ghirla and the Badia di San Gemolo abbey at Ganna among its best-known places.

Many residents work in Varese or in Switzerland, a short drive away. This shapes both the market and daily life, with cross-border commuter traffic on the valley road. Homes are mostly detached houses with gardens, often built from the 1960s onwards, alongside old stone hamlets. The climate is damp and rainy, zone E, and the surrounding woods leave some houses with little winter sun, so it is worth visiting in that season too. Declared incomes are below the average for the province of Varese.

According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 1,580 residents in 2023, practically unchanged since 2011 (down 0.3%). The average age of 46.4 is in line with the province (46.5), and foreign residents make up 7.7%.

Earthquakes are not the main issue: all 136 municipalities in the province of Varese are in seismic zone 4, and the expected ground acceleration here is 0.039 g. In a narrow valley, slopes and streams matter more.

The report checks the gradient and the official landslide and flood maps at the address. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published.

Key points

  • Valley between Varese and Lake Lugano, lakes Ganna and Ghirla.
  • Many commuters to Varese and Switzerland.
  • All 136 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Population steady, down 0.3% since 2011.

Overview

Valganna is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,580 residents, ranked 102 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valganna is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 7.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valganna declared an average taxable income of 22,666 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Valganna is in climate zone E, with 2,760 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 460 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valganna has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Valganna.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 5.9% of the land in Valganna, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Valganna 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 Valganna.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Valganna: 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 Valganna 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 13 inhabited census areas in Valganna. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 80.6%
  • good 19.4%

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 012131. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.