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Pordenone and the western plain: what living here is like, what it costs, what it lacks

This is the corner of Friuli that keeps growing: since 2001 its 20 municipalities have added 12% more residents while the region as a whole stood still. Venice airport is 51 min from Pordenone, which also has the area's major hospital; the catches are hot summers and water.

Published 22 October 2026

What it is like, and who it suits

Flat, well connected and busy: by Friulian standards the towns are large (8,366 residents in the median one, against 2,298 region-wide), with Pordenone in the middle and the Veneto just across the provincial border. No mountains to the south means no shadows: the winter solstice brings 8 h 38 min of direct sun, all the daylight there is.

It is also the youngest part of the region. The median town's average age is 46.9 (region: 49.7), and the youngest municipality in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Pravisdomini, is here.

  • Good for families, people working in Friuli or the Veneto, anyone who wants a hospital and a railway station nearby.
  • Less good for those dreaming of a mountain view from the window, or planning holiday lets: tourists are few. From Pordenone the nearest beach, Bibione in the Veneto, is 50 min away and the Piancavallo slopes 48 min.

The towns: who is growing, who costs more

18 municipalities have gained residents since 2001, out of 20. The fastest-growing in the whole region is Fontanafredda, between Pordenone and Sacile.

#MunicipalityZoneResidents since 2001
1FontanafreddaPordenone and the western plain36%
2PravisdominiPordenone and the western plain35%
3Azzano DecimoPordenone and the western plain22%
4Prata di PordenonePordenone and the western plain20%
5Roveredo in PianoPordenone and the western plain19%
6Sesto al ReghenaPordenone and the western plain19%
7Fiume VenetoPordenone and the western plain16%
8San Vito al TagliamentoPordenone and the western plain15%
PordenoneSacileFontanafreddaSan Vito al TagliamentoPravisdomini
Standard homes (€/m²)€1,045/m²€1,225/m²€1,060/m²€990/m²€710/m²
24h emergency room5 min18 min12 min2 min20 min
From Venice Airport51 min48 min51 min1 h 0046 min
Fibre to the home87.8%93.4%0.7%91.4%32.0%
Buildings in flood areas13.9%6.7%1.3%6.7%0.7%

Sacile is the dearest town, Pravisdomini the cheapest. San Vito al Tagliamento has the area's second round-the-clock emergency department.

Hospitals, trains, schools

  • Hospital: Pordenone's Santa Maria degli Angeli has A&E, round-the-clock angioplasty and a dedicated stroke ward; from the median town it is 18 min away. Major trauma, heart surgery and neurosurgery mean Udine, 1 h 02 from Pordenone (living in Pordenone).
  • Sacile lost its minor-injuries unit (PPI) at the end of 2025; Pordenone's emergency department is 18 min away (hospitals and A&E in Friuli).
  • Across the border: from Pravisdomini the hospital in Portogruaro (Veneto) is 17 min away, closer than San Vito (20 min); we have not verified its emergency service.
  • Rail: Pordenone, Sacile, Fontanafredda and Casarsa have direct trains to Venice, Udine and Trieste, Pordenone to Milan as well; San Vito and Cordovado are on the Casarsa–Portogruaro branch.
  • Secondary schools: 12 sites in Pordenone, 5 in Sacile, 5 in San Vito; teaching is in Italian.

The property market

Prices sit above the regional median. The OMI, the tax agency's valuation survey for ordinary homes, puts the median town at €905/m² for flats and €1,010/m² for houses; regional medians are €790/m² and €750/m².

Values are rising: in the year to the first half of 2026 they went up in 9 towns and down in none, by 20.7% in Prata di Pordenone and 20.3% in Azzano Decimo. Pordenone recorded 827 home sales in 2025.

On paper, letting a flat yields 4.5% gross in the median town and 6.0% in Pordenone, before tax, upkeep and empty months. How buying works for a foreigner: buying a house in Italy.

What it lacks: cool summers, fibre everywhere, dry ground

  • Heat: July averages 23.6 °C with highs of 30.0 °C, and 43 days a year top 30 °C (region: 37). Ask whether a house has air conditioning.
  • Flooding: in Prata di Pordenone ISPRA, the national environment agency, reckons 65.5% of buildings sit in zones with a medium flood hazard; in Casarsa, 24.5%. It varies street by street (floods and landslides).
Buildings in flood areas0.0% – 1.4%1.4% – 4.3%4.3% – 6.7%6.7% – 13.9%≥ 13.9%Each dot is a town hall
  • Broadband: full fibre reaches fewer than one household in ten in Fontanafredda, Roveredo in Piano and Pasiano; in Cordovado 96.7%.
  • Earthquakes: none of the towns is in seismic zone 1; 10 are in zone 2, the rest in zone 3.

Questions

How far is Pordenone from Venice airport?

51 min by car without traffic; there are also direct trains from Pordenone station to Venice.

What do houses cost in the Pordenone plain?

In the plain the OMI survey gives €905/m² for a flat in the median town and €1,010/m² for a detached house; Sacile is the dearest at €1,225/m².

Is there a hospital with A&E near Sacile?

Since its minor-injuries unit closed at the end of 2025, the nearest emergency department is in Pordenone, 18 min by car, and 112 is the number for any emergency.

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: