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Zeri: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, Toscana. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Zeri

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 Bosco di Rossano 1, Zeri.

Zeri, scattered hamlets in upper Lunigiana

Zeri has no single centre. It is a municipality of hamlets scattered across the slopes of upper Lunigiana, at the far northern tip of Tuscany, where the Apennines mark the border with Liguria. Chestnut and beech woods, pasture and small stone villages make up a large, thinly populated area, also known for the Zeri lamb, a local breed of sheep.

Buyers here are usually after a mountain house, either to live in year-round or for the summer. Think carefully about distances: the hamlets are linked by narrow, winding roads, and for the main services you go down to Pontremoli and the valley floor. Winters are harsh (climate zone F) and snow is normal at altitude. Many stone houses have been shut up for a long time and need work on roofs, plumbing, wiring and insulation.

The population is small and elderly. In 2023 there were 919 residents, 23.5% fewer than the 1,201 of 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 58.2, against 49.2 in the province of Massa-Carrara, and over-65s make up 46.9%, against 28.8%. Households average 1.71 people, a sign that many residents live alone.

Zeri is in seismic zone 2 under the Civil Protection classification, like 13 other municipalities in the province, while 3 are in zone 3. Expected ground acceleration is 0.181 g. With a stone house that has stood empty for years, have a surveyor check walls, floors and roof before you sign.

On the slopes, the report checks the address against the official landslide maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the whole municipality.

Key points

  • Municipality of scattered hamlets in upper Lunigiana.
  • Over-65s at 46.9%, average age 58.2.
  • Population down 23.5% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.181 g.

Overview

Zeri is a municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 919 residents, among the smallest in the province (16 of 17).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Zeri is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (14 of 17) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.181 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Zeri, 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 23.5%. The estimated average age is 58 years, higher than the province average (49). 47% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 4.2% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Zeri declared an average taxable income of 18,015 euros, below the provincial average (23,864 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Zeri is in climate zone F, with 3,136 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 708 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Zeri has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 2.7% of the land in Zeri, compared with 7.3% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Zeri is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. 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 Zeri.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Zeri: 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 Zeri 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 47 inhabited census areas in Zeri. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 54 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 99.7%

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 045017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.