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Villalago: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Villalago

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, Villalago.

Villalago, its lakes and the Sagittario valley

Along the road that climbs the Sagittario valley towards Scanno, beyond the gorges, you reach Villalago, a stone village built on a spur above 900 metres. Below it lie two lakes, Lake Villalago and Lake San Domenico, with the saint's hermitage looking over the water. Mountains, woods and pasture surround it.

In 2023 there were 503 residents, 14.6% fewer than in 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office, with a mean age of 57.3 against 47.5 in the province and over-65s at 42.5%, compared with 26.4%. Households are small (1.74 members) and foreign residents are 3.4%.

Buyers here are often after a summer home or a return to family roots. Houses in the centre are stone, on several levels and reached by steps: assess the walls and roofs, the systems and the work needed to make them habitable all year. The climate zone is E.

Villalago is in seismic zone 1, the highest class, like 103 of the 108 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.262 g. For a masonry building, an engineer's opinion on the structure, floors and wall connections is essential, along with records of any work already done.

The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps cover the municipality, and the report traces the address to the land parcel, checking the official landslide and slope maps for that spot.

Key points

  • Sagittario valley, above the gorges, over 900 metres up.
  • Lake Villalago and Lake San Domenico below the village.
  • Over-65s at 42.5%, against 26.4% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.262 g.

Overview

Villalago is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 503 residents, ranked 78 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Villalago is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.262 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Villalago, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 14.6%. The estimated average age is 57 years, higher than the province average (48). 43% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Villalago declared an average taxable income of 19,369 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Villalago is in climate zone E, with 2,953 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 930 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Villalago has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 per 1,000 residents.

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 1.4% of the land in Villalago, compared with 3.2% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Villalago.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Villalago: 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 Villalago 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 7 inhabited census areas in Villalago. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 066103. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.