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Varenna: 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 Varenna

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 Pino 3, Varenna.

Varenna, on the eastern shore of Lake Como

Varenna lies on the eastern shore of Lake Como, in the central stretch of the lake, with its old village dropping down to the water through steep lanes and flights of steps. Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, with their lakeside gardens, draw visitors for much of the year, and from the harbour the boats run across to Bellagio and Menaggio. Tourism sets the rhythm of the year: there are 46.99 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents, against 4.31 in the province of Lecco.

The link to Lecco and Milan is the railway that runs along the lake towards the Valtellina: in the official timetables the municipality has a station served by regional trains, and the report measures the distance from each address to the stop. By car you use the lakeside road, which is busy in summer.

House hunters will mainly find flats in the old village, often without direct car access and with parking to be found elsewhere, plus villas and houses on the slope above. Many properties are second homes or holiday lets. There were 681 residents in 2023, 11.0% fewer than in 2011; the estimated average age is 53.3 against 46.6 in the province, and over-65s make up 35.8%. Households are small, 1.81 people on average, and average declared incomes are above the provincial level.

Varenna is in seismic zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, like 19 other municipalities in the province, while 64 are in zone 3; expected acceleration is about 0.042 g. The steep slope behind the village and the lakeshore matter more: landslide and flood hazard are checked for each address on the official maps.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Varenna, and the report traces the address to the building.

Key points

  • Village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, with boats to Bellagio.
  • Bars and restaurants: 46.99 per 1,000 residents.
  • 681 residents, over-65s at 35.8%.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.042 g.

Overview

Varenna is a municipality in the province of Lecco, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 681 residents, ranked 72 of 84 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Varenna 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 11.0%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (47). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.1% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Varenna declared an average taxable income of 31,417 euros, above the provincial average (28,624 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Varenna is in climate zone E, with 2,246 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 220 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Varenna has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 2 healthcare facilities.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.0 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 1.5 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 2.9% of the land in Varenna, 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

Varenna is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area 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 Varenna.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Varenna: 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 Varenna 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 9 inhabited census areas in Varenna. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.7%
  • fair 49.5%
  • good 49.8%

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 097084. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.