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Vignola: 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

Search for an address in Vignola

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 Modenese 40, Vignola.

Vignola, cherries, the Panaro and the train to Bologna

Where the Modena plain meets the first hills, Vignola sits on the bank of the river Panaro and is known across Italy for its cherries, which carry a protected geographical indication (IGP). The old centre gathers around a medieval fortress, with residential districts, orchards and small industrial areas spread around it. It is the seat of the Terre di Castelli union of municipalities and has secondary schools and services used by the surrounding villages.

Commuting distances are short. Modena is about twenty kilometres away, and Bologna can be reached by train on the Bologna-Vignola line, which runs right into town. Homes cheaper than in the two cities and a full range of services explain why the population is growing: Istat, the national statistics office, counted 25,999 residents at the end of 2023, up 6.8% on 2011.

The town is also younger than average. The average age is 44.7 against 45.8 for the province, and foreign nationals account for 18.3%, a high share even for Emilia. Schools and supermarkets are more plentiful than elsewhere in the province, at 0.81 and 0.77 per 1,000 residents.

In the province 7 municipalities are in seismic zone 2 and the rest in zone 3. Vignola is in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.163 g, fairly high for its class. After the Emilia earthquakes of 2012 many buildings in the area were inspected, so a buyer can ask whether the block has had surveys or strengthening work and what they found.

Near the Panaro and the irrigation canals flooding is what matters; towards the hills it is slope stability. The report checks both sets of official maps for the address and finds the land parcel through the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre.

Key points

  • IGP cherries, a medieval fortress, seat of the Terre di Castelli union.
  • 25,999 residents, up 6.8% since 2011.
  • Foreign residents at 18.3%, average age 44.7.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.163 g.

Overview

Vignola is a municipality in the province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 25,999 residents, ranked 6 of 47 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Vignola 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 0.163 g, a medium-high 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 6.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 18.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Vignola declared an average taxable income of 26,536 euros, in line with the province (27,632 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Vignola is in climate zone E, with 2,322 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 125 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Vignola has 21 schools and 8 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 20 grocery shops and supermarkets, 17 healthcare facilities, 15 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.8 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 25.4% of the land in Vignola, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Vignola 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 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Vignola, and one more has 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 Vignola: 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 Vignola 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 99 inhabited census areas in Vignola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 40.6%
  • good 59.3%

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 036046. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.