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Villapiana: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Villapiana

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: Strada Provinciale 253 2, Villapiana.

Villapiana, a hill town and its beach on the Ionian coast

Villapiana has two sides. The old town sits on a rise at around 200 metres, its houses packed around the churches with a view of the sea; lower down, along the Ionian coast, the districts of Scalo and Lido have grown up, with apartment blocks, detached houses and many holiday homes that fill up in summer. The municipality lies in the upper Ionian part of the province of Cosenza, between Trebisacce to the north and the Sibari plain to the south.

If you are thinking of buying, the first decision is where. The coast has the widest choice, often flats used for a few weeks a year, and shops and services thin out in winter. Up in the old town the houses are older, often stone-built, and the streets climb. The SS106 Ionian coast road carries almost all traffic, towards Corigliano-Rossano one way and Taranto the other.

There were 5,490 residents at the end of 2023, up 6.0% on the 2011 census, against the trend of many inland Calabrian towns. The average age is 46.1, people over 65 make up 25.0% of residents compared with 24.4% in the province, and foreign residents 9.9%. Households are small, 2.06 people on average.

Earthquake risk needs to be taken seriously. Villapiana is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, and 65 municipalities in the province of Cosenza are in zone 1, the highest. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.154 g. For a flat on the coast built during the building boom, ask for the structural design and the certificate of habitability.

Near the coast, streams coming down from the hills can overflow in heavy rain, while in the upper town slopes are the issue. The Revenue Agency publishes its cadastral maps here and the report works on the individual address.

Key points

  • Old town on the hill, Scalo and Lido on the Ionian coast.
  • 5,490 residents, up 6.0% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.154 g.
  • Many holiday homes by the sea: fewer services in winter.

Overview

Villapiana is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,490 residents, ranked 29 of 150 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Villapiana is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.154 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Villapiana, 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 grown by 6.0%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Villapiana declared an average taxable income of 15,807 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Villapiana is in climate zone C, with 1,371 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 206 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Villapiana has 8 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).

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 10.9% of the land in Villapiana, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 20.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Villapiana; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Villapiana: 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 Villapiana 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 110 inhabited census areas in Villapiana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 7.4%
  • fair 86.6%
  • good 6.0%

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 078154. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.