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Zignago: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Zignago

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, Zignago.

Zignago, woods and hamlets in the upper Vara valley

Zignago belongs to the upper Val di Vara, the mountainous hinterland of the province of La Spezia, far from the tourism of the Cinque Terre even though the sea is not far away as the crow flies. The land is wooded and split into small settlements linked by mountain roads, and the town hall stands at around 630 metres.

People looking for a house here usually want space and quiet, and what they find are stone houses in the hamlets, often in need of work. Before buying, drive the road in winter, ask how water and heating reach the house and time the journey down to the valley, where the main roads and services are. In climate zone D winters are colder than on the coast, though shorter than high in the mountains.

The population has shrunk: 469 residents in 2023, 10.5% fewer than in 2011. It is an older community, with an average age of 52.3 against 48.6 in the province and over-65s at 36.0%, compared with 27.8% across the province of La Spezia. Foreign residents make up 2.6%.

Zignago is in seismic zone 2, like only 7 of the 32 municipalities in the province, the rest being in zone 3. Expected ground acceleration is about 0.155 g. For a stone house this is the figure that matters most: before completion, have a surveyor inspect the walls, floors and roof.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available, and the report reaches the land parcel from the address. On the valley slopes, landslides and ground movement have to be read for the individual plot on the official maps the report consults.

Key points

  • Mountain hinterland of La Spezia, in the upper Vara valley.
  • Over-65s at 36.0%, average age 52.3.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.155 g.
  • Stone houses: get a surveyor to check walls and floors.

Overview

Zignago is a municipality in the province of La Spezia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 469 residents, among the smallest in the province (31 of 32).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Zignago is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 7 of 32 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.155 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Zignago, 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 10.5%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (49). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 2.6% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Zignago declared an average taxable income of 21,459 euros, below the provincial average (25,530 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Zignago is in climate zone D, with 2,076 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 632 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Zignago has 1 school.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 3.2% of the land in Zignago, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Zignago is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. 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 Zignago.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Zignago: 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 Zignago 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 16 inhabited census areas in Zignago. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 55 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 011032. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.