Knowledge Base
Registration of Italian Properties
It will come as no surprise that all Italian properties are registered so as to provide certainty over who owns them.
Most transactions involving the purchase of houses, apartments, etc. will be registered at the Buildings Cadastre (Catasto Fabbricati) while purchases of land will be registered at the Land Cadastre (Catasto Terreni). Each municipality holds its own cadastre or register.
It’s possible to request a search – ispezione ipotecaria – of the registry to find out details of the property as well as ownership details and any charges, liens or encumbrances over the property.
As regards the details of the properties, the information typically recorded in a land registry certificate (visura catastale) is as follows:
- municipality (comune) where located
- type of cadastre: buildings or land
- registration details: section (sezione), sheet (foglio), parcel (particella), sub-parcel (subalterno)
- category: e.g. A1 elegant houses, A8 residential villas, C6 stables, sheds, garages, parking spaces
- number of rooms/area (consistenza)
- address including street. no.
Special systems
In the Alto Adige region of Italy, there is a special ‘Tavolare‘ system for registering properties, whereby each property has its own folio or partita tavolare.
Final comments
Looking at a land registry certificate for the first time can be an overwhelming experience! Having this translated professionally will give you the reassurance of knowing exactly how a property has been registered. Please click the Request a Quote button.
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Key terms:
Catasto Fabbricati: Buildings Cadastre
Catasto Terreni: Land Cadastre
Ispezione ipotecaria: Registry search
Visura catastale: Land registry certificate
Partita tavolare: Land register folio
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