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Valvarrone: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Valvarrone

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: Localita' Fenile 0, Valvarrone.

Valvarrone, the Varrone valley above Lake Como

From the eastern shore of Lake Como, at Dervio, the Varrone valley climbs inland between steep mountains. Valvarrone is the municipality created by a recent merger of several small villages in this valley, and its territory is made up of clusters scattered over the slopes, linked by mountain roads, with the lake in view from many points.

Buying here means choosing the mountains with the lake within driving distance. Houses are mostly old and stone-built, sometimes second homes or family houses left shut for long periods: the roof, services, damp and vehicle access are the first things to check. For work and services people go down to the lakeshore and on towards Lecco or the Valtellina. Before buying, also check that land registry details and addresses have been updated since the merger.

The population has fallen: 486 residents in 2023 against 615 in 2011, a drop of 21.0%, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age of 51.4 is above the 46.6 of the province of Lecco, and over-65s make up 33.1% against 25.2% across the province. Foreign residents account for 3.5%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is low: Valvarrone is in seismic zone 4 on the Civil Protection department's national scale, like 20 of the 84 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.042 g. In a stone house at altitude, cold, damp and upkeep matter more.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report goes from the address to the land parcel. In a steep valley like this, landslides, avalanches and stream floods depend on the precise spot: the report checks them on the official maps for every address.

Key points

  • Varrone valley, above Dervio and Lake Como.
  • Municipality formed by a recent merger of small valley villages.
  • Population down 21.0% since 2011, over-65s at 33.1%.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.042 g.

Overview

Valvarrone is a municipality in the province of Lecco, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 486 residents, among the smallest in the province (77 of 84).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valvarrone is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 20 of 84 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.042 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 resident population has fallen by 21.0%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (47). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valvarrone declared an average taxable income of 22,183 euros, below the provincial average (28,624 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Valvarrone is in climate zone F, with 3,140 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 754 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valvarrone has 2 schools.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.3 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

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

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 3.5% of the land in Valvarrone, compared with 12.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Valvarrone 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 Valvarrone.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Valvarrone: 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 Valvarrone 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 11 inhabited census areas in Valvarrone. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 98.6%
  • good 1.4%

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 097093. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.