FriuliVillas

Friuli's empty homes: how many there are, where they stand, what to do with one

In 2021, ISTAT found that 23.7% of homes in Friuli Venezia Giulia had no resident, fewer than across Italy (27.2%). Within the region the share runs from a few per cent on the Isonzo plain to almost nine homes in ten in Lignano, for two reasons: holidays and depopulation.

Published 31 October 2026

How many, and what «empty» means

The census calls a dwelling «unoccupied» when no resident lives there: that covers homes that are genuinely shut, but also second homes, holiday homes and homes owned by foreigners. In 2021 they made up 23.7% in the region and 27.2% in Italy. The rolling census does not yet publish them by town: the latest detail is from 2011.

Aiello del Friuli: 13%Amaro: 24%Ampezzo: 46%Aquileia: 9%Arta Terme: 51%Artegna: 16%Attimis: 21%Bagnaria Arsa: 9%Basiliano: 11%Bertiolo: 21%Bicinicco: 16%Bordano: 32%Buja: 23%Buttrio: 5%Camino al Tagliamento: 25%Campoformido: 9%Carlino: 18%Cassacco: 15%Castions di Strada: 11%Cavazzo Carnico: 35%Cercivento: 71%Cervignano del Friuli: 9%Chiopris-Viscone: 15%Chiusaforte: 64%Cividale del Friuli: 16%Codroipo: 17%Colloredo di Monte Albano: 11%Comeglians: 66%Corno di Rosazzo: 10%Coseano: 15%Dignano: 20%Dogna: 71%Drenchia: 60%Enemonzo: 31%Faedis: 26%Fagagna: 9%Flaibano: 20%Forni Avoltri: 61%Forni di Sopra: 72%Forni di Sotto: 58%Gemona del Friuli: 17%Gonars: 13%Grimacco: 47%Latisana: 22%Lauco: 56%Lestizza: 14%Lignano Sabbiadoro: 88%Lusevera: 56%Magnano in Riviera: 13%Majano: 19%Malborghetto Valbruna: 62%Manzano: 7%Marano Lagunare: 33%Martignacco: 8%Mereto di Tomba: 13%Moggio Udinese: 38%Moimacco: 11%Montenars: 33%Mortegliano: 10%Moruzzo: 19%Muzzana del Turgnano: 12%Nimis: 20%Osoppo: 7%Ovaro: 46%Pagnacco: 7%Palazzolo dello Stella: 43%Palmanova: 7%Paluzza: 38%Pasian di Prato: 9%Paularo: 32%Pavia di Udine: 11%Pocenia: 6%Pontebba: 42%Porpetto: 8%Povoletto: 11%Pozzuolo del Friuli: 11%Pradamano: 8%Prato Carnico: 50%Precenicco: 14%Premariacco: 9%Preone: 54%Prepotto: 39%Pulfero: 39%Ragogna: 23%Ravascletto: 75%Raveo: 29%Reana del Rojale: 15%Remanzacco: 7%Resia: 51%Resiutta: 42%Rigolato: 63%Rive d'Arcano: 20%Ronchis: 12%Ruda: 12%San Daniele del Friuli: 18%San Giorgio di Nogaro: 13%San Giovanni al Natisone: 11%San Leonardo: 22%San Pietro al Natisone: 18%Santa Maria la Longa: 5%San Vito al Torre: 13%San Vito di Fagagna: 20%Sauris: 62%Savogna: 41%Sedegliano: 14%Socchieve: 50%Stregna: 39%Sutrio: 38%Taipana: 54%Talmassons: 17%Tarcento: 19%Tarvisio: 49%Tavagnacco: 15%Terzo d'Aquileia: 4%Tolmezzo: 12%Torreano: 18%Torviscosa: 9%Trasaghis: 33%Treppo Grande: 24%Tricesimo: 15%Trivignano Udinese: 12%Udine: 14%Varmo: 25%Venzone: 28%Verzegnis: 49%Villa Santina: 23%Visco: 13%Zuglio: 40%Forgaria nel Friuli: 43%Campolongo Tapogliano: 16%Rivignano Teor: 13%Sappada: 76%Fiumicello Villa Vicentina: 12%Treppo Ligosullo: 52%Capriva del Friuli: 10%Cormons: 17%Doberdò del Lago: 11%Dolegna del Collio: 28%Farra d'Isonzo: 10%Fogliano Redipuglia: 4%Gorizia: 16%Gradisca d'Isonzo: 6%Grado: 67%Mariano del Friuli: 17%Medea: 18%Monfalcone: 10%Moraro: 14%Mossa: 6%Romans d'Isonzo: 13%Ronchi dei Legionari: 8%Sagrado: 13%San Canzian d'Isonzo: 11%San Floriano del Collio: 11%San Lorenzo Isontino: 9%San Pier d'Isonzo: 10%Savogna d'Isonzo: 6%Staranzano: 4%Turriaco: 14%Villesse: 9%Duino Aurisina: 9%Monrupino: 11%Muggia: 9%San Dorligo della Valle: 12%Sgonico: 12%Trieste: 11%Andreis: 68%Arba: 37%Aviano: 51%Azzano Decimo: 14%Barcis: 65%Brugnera: 12%Budoia: 44%Caneva: 24%Casarsa della Delizia: 11%Castelnovo del Friuli: 46%Cavasso Nuovo: 40%Chions: 11%Cimolais: 57%Claut: 54%Clauzetto: 70%Cordenons: 9%Cordovado: 11%Erto e Casso: 66%Fanna: 24%Fiume Veneto: 10%Fontanafredda: 9%Frisanco: 56%Maniago: 16%Meduno: 29%Montereale Valcellina: 31%Morsano al Tagliamento: 16%Pasiano di Pordenone: 12%Pinzano al Tagliamento: 40%Polcenigo: 43%Porcia: 12%Pordenone: 13%Prata di Pordenone: 10%Pravisdomini: 20%Roveredo in Piano: 21%Sacile: 10%San Giorgio della Richinvelda: 11%San Martino al Tagliamento: 16%San Quirino: 21%San Vito al Tagliamento: 13%Sequals: 23%Sesto al Reghena: 14%Spilimbergo: 20%Tramonti di Sopra: 61%Tramonti di Sotto: 70%Travesio: 30%Vito d'Asio: 64%Vivaro: 25%Zoppola: 8%Vajont: 14%Valvasone Arzene: 15%
Unoccupied homes (2011)4% – 11%11% – 14%14% – 21%21% – 43%≥ 43%Each dot is a town hall

In 2011, in the median town, 17% of dwellings had nobody living there as a resident. At the bottom sits the Isonzo plain, Fogliano Redipuglia 4% and Staranzano 4%; at the top Lignano, 88%.

Two different reasons

There are 50 towns where at least 40% of homes have no resident. Split them by tourism and the picture separates cleanly.

  • Holiday homes (14 towns with at least 20 tourist nights a year per inhabitant): the two beaches, Lignano and Grado, and the ski and lake villages, from Sappada (76%) to Forni di Sopra (72%), Ravascletto, Sauris, Tarvisio, Barcis. Here the empty home is the market: people buy to stay a few weeks.
  • Villages emptying out (the other 36): 33 have lost residents since 2001 and 30 lie in the mountains, across Carnia, Val Tramontina, Valcellina, Canal del Ferro and the Natisone valleys. Dogna has 71% of homes without residents, Tramonti di Sotto 70%, Drenchia 60%, with its population halved since 2001 (-55%).
#MunicipalityZoneUnoccupied homes (2011)
1Lignano SabbiadoroLignano, Latisana and Marano88%
2SappadaCarnia and Sappada76%
3RavasclettoCarnia and Sappada75%
4Forni di SopraCarnia and Sappada72%
5DognaTarvisio, Canal del Ferro and Val Resia71%
6CerciventoCarnia and Sappada71%
7ClauzettoFriulian Dolomites and Val Tramontina70%
8Tramonti di SottoFriulian Dolomites and Val Tramontina70%
9AndreisFriulian Dolomites and Val Tramontina68%
10GradoGrado and Aquileia67%
11Erto e CassoFriulian Dolomites and Val Tramontina66%
12ComegliansCarnia and Sappada66%

Mountain depopulation, town by town: the emptying mountains.

In the cities too, and not only second homes

As a share the cities sit low, but the numbers count: in 2011 Trieste had 12,189 homes without residents (11%), Udine 7,659 (14%), Gorizia 3,169. For Gorizia the Revenue Agency quotes a council figure: about 2,000 homes are neither let nor sold because they are in poor repair and too costly to put right. That is the empty home that weighs most on its owner.

What keeping it shut costs

Even when closed, any home other than your main residence pays ILIA: by law 0.86%, which councils may raise to 1.06%; 0.70% for a single «second home» declared to the Region. Some councils target idle homes: Bordano charges 1.06% from 2026, Udine 0.98% on homes kept at the owner's disposal, Grado and Monfalcone more where the utilities are disconnected. A Udine flat kept shut or let, in figures: what letting really yields; every town's rates: ILIA.

The regional grant for letting it

The regional housing law (L.R. 1/2016, art. 19) rewards owners who bring back to the market a home that has stood empty for at least 2 years, letting it to a tenant with an ISEE between €12,000 and €20,000.

  • How much: €2,500 for a 4+4 lease, €3,500 for a 3+2, paid once; plus up to €2,500 for maintenance work done shortly before or after the application.
  • Conditions: yearly rent no higher than 25% of the tenant's ISEE, and the tenant must take up residence; a written, registered lease; damage insurance; the home stays let, and unsold, for 5 years.
  • Who can apply: owners who have been resident in the region for at least 5 of the last 8 years. Owners who have lived abroad for more than three years are excluded.
  • How: in person at the town hall where the home is, before signing the lease. The Region funds councils through an annual plan and grants go in order of application: ask the housing office whether the council has funds.

In towns under «high housing pressure» a 3+2 regulated lease also gets the reduced flat tax, which the 2027 budget would cut further: the sums.

Questions

How many homes are empty in Friuli Venezia Giulia?

At the 2021 census 23.7% of the region's homes had no resident, against 27.2% in Italy. The figure includes second and holiday homes, not just abandoned ones.

Is there a grant for letting an empty home in Friuli?

Yes: €2,500 for a 4+4 lease or €3,500 for a 3+2, plus up to €2,500 for works, if the home has been empty for at least 2 years, the tenant's ISEE is between €12,000 and €20,000 and rent stays within 25% of it. Apply at the town hall before signing the lease.

Where in Friuli are most homes empty?

As a share, in Lignano (88% in 2011) and in the mountain villages, whether tourist or depopulating; in absolute numbers in Lignano, Trieste, Grado and Udine.

Sources and method

Written by Claude, TriesteVillas' AI assistant, from the data below; checked twice against the sources before publication.

The figures on this page come from:

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