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Villanovafranca: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Medio Campidano, Sardegna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Villanovafranca

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 Xx Settembre 1, Villanovafranca.

Villanovafranca, the Marmilla hills and the Su Mulinu nuraghe

The Marmilla is a spread of low hills and wheat fields in south-central Sardinia, and Villanovafranca is one of its villages, at around 290 metres. Just outside the village stands the Su Mulinu nuraghe, one of the Bronze Age stone towers typical of the island, with a small museum of the finds; Barumini and its Su Nuraxi nuraghe are in the same area. Cagliari, for work, hospitals and the airport, is about an hour away by car.

The village has the classic look of the Campidano and Marmilla towns: low houses of stone and often of sun-dried earth bricks, with an inner courtyard and a large gateway onto the street. Many need renovating, and buyers should look first at damp, the roof and the wiring and plumbing. The climate is mild (climate zone C), with hot summers. Declared incomes are below the average for the province of Medio Campidano.

The population has fallen to 1,163 residents in 2023, 18.8% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 51.6 against 49.4 for the province, over-65s are 32.2% and foreign residents 1.4%.

All 28 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class in the Civil Protection Department's national scheme, and the expected ground acceleration in the village is 0.050 g. Earthquakes are not the place to start: in an earth-brick house what matters is the condition of the walls, rising damp and roof maintenance.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report traces the address to its land parcel. Where the ground slopes down to the streams, flood hazard is checked on the official maps for the address.

Key points

  • Marmilla hills, home to the Su Mulinu nuraghe.
  • All 28 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Population down 18.8% since 2011.
  • Stone and earth-brick houses: check damp and roof.

Overview

Villanovafranca is a municipality in the province of Medio Campidano, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 1,163 residents, ranked 15 of 28 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Villanovafranca is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 28 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate 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 18.8%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (49). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Villanovafranca declared an average taxable income of 15,474 euros, below the provincial average (19,085 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Villanovafranca is in climate zone C, with 1,384 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 292 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Villanovafranca has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 sports facilities.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.9 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 2.5% of the land in Villanovafranca, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Villanovafranca is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Villanovafranca: 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 Villanovafranca 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 8 inhabited census areas in Villanovafranca. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 2.5%
  • good 97.5%

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 117028. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.