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Voltaggio: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Voltaggio

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 Cesare Anfosso 1, Voltaggio.

Voltaggio, the Lemme valley and the old road to Genoa

For centuries the road over the Bocchetta pass was one of the routes between Genoa and the plain, and Voltaggio was a stop on it: the village lies in the Lemme valley, at the foot of the Bocchetta pass, on the old road that crosses the Apennines into Liguria. It belongs to the Oltregiogo, the part of the province of Alessandria that looked to Genoa for centuries.

The old centre is compact, along the stream, with narrow streets. Buyers will mostly find old homes to renovate and a few villas or detached houses on the edges. Check access, parking, the roofs and systems, and damp in houses closest to the water.

In 2023 there were 652 residents, down 14.1% on the 759 of 2011. It is an older population: an average age of 53.1 against 48.9 in the province, and over-65s at 36.3% against 28.6%. Foreign residents are 4.6%. Average declared income is a little above the average for the province of Alessandria.

Voltaggio is in seismic zone 3, like 127 of the 187 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.087 g. In an old stone building, ask what work has been done on the floors and roof and have an engineer look at it.

Between the stream on the valley floor and the slopes enclosing it, hazards change within a few metres: flooding near the water, landslides on the hillsides. The report reads them for the address on the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the address leads to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Lemme valley, at the foot of the Bocchetta pass towards Liguria.
  • 652 residents, down 14.1% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 36.3%, against 28.6% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.087 g.

Overview

Voltaggio is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 652 residents, ranked 97 of 187 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Voltaggio is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (127 of 187) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.087 g, a moderate 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 fallen by 14.1%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (49). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.6% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Voltaggio declared an average taxable income of 26,222 euros, in line with the province (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Voltaggio is in climate zone E, with 2,743 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 342 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Voltaggio has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 1.9% of the land in Voltaggio, compared with 7.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Voltaggio is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 open contaminated sites in Voltaggio; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Voltaggio: 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 Voltaggio 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 24 inhabited census areas in Voltaggio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 71.1%
  • good 28.9%

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 006190. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.