AIReworked with AI
What changed. Haze removed, clear air, warm late-afternoon light. Buildings, shores, boats, trees and framing are those of the original; small distant details are rendered by the model and should not be read as a record.
Source photo: San Maurizio d'Opaglio and Lake Orta from Madonna del Sasso.jpg · Mattsjc
Licence: CC BY 4.0 · Nano Banana 2 (Higgsfield) · 6/10/2026
72 min · 84 km · from Piazza del Duomo, by car
San Maurizio d'Opaglio
West shore · Pella, Ronco and the cliff-top villages: the shore that looks at Orta
In one sentence
San Maurizio d'Opaglio is the tap-making town of the west shore: 2,999 residents, 82 m above the lake, schools up to lower secondary, 72 min from Milan and 51 from Malpensa.
Data sheet
By car, without traffic
| From | Drive time | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Milan | 72 min | 84 |
| Malpensa | 51 min | 44 |
| Linate | 80 min | 89 |
| Novara | 47 min | 46 |
| Turin | 1 h 34 min | 124 |
| Lugano | 79 min | 93 |
| Zurich | 3 h 49 min | 296 |
| Basel | 4 h 22 min | 353 |
| Bern | 4 h 20 min | 323 |
| Geneva | 3 h 51 min | 301 |
| Munich | 6 h 03 min | 508 |
OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic, measured on 6 October 2026. Arrival at the centre of the place.
elevation
372 m82 m above the lake · from 355 m to 410 m around the point
Copernicus DEM (GLO-90) for the point; Terrain Tiles for the surroundings (400 m radius). Ground elevation, not buildings.
Sun on 21 December
7 h 17 min of direct sun, from 08:15 to 15:31 (out of 8 h 29 min of theoretical daylight)
Our own calculation on the terrain (Terrain Tiles): only the mountains count, not buildings or trees.
Train, boat, schools
- Nearest station
- Orta-Miasino · 3.4 km
- Nearest pier
- Lagna · 1.4 km
- State schools in the municipality
- scuola primaria, scuola primo grado, scuola infanzia, istituto comprensivo
- residents
- 2,999 · ISTAT 1/1/2025
as the crow flies
Landslides and floods (municipality)
- of residents in high or very high landslide hazard areas
- 0.3%
- of residents in medium flood hazard areas
- 0.2%
ISPRA IdroGEO, percentages for the whole municipality (2021 census population), not for the point.
Distances
San Maurizio d'Opaglio and its neighbours
| Places | Drive time | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Pella | 6 min | 3.7 |
| Gozzano | 7 min | 5.4 |
| Bolzano Novarese | 7 min | 6.8 |
| Madonna del Sasso | 9 min | 6.6 |
| Ronco | 10 min | 6.6 |
| Vacciago | 10 min | 9.1 |
| Nonio | 11 min | 10.1 |
| Legro | 12 min | 11.2 |
| Orta San Giulio | 13 min | 11.8 |
| Pettenasco | 13 min | 13.3 |
| Ameno | 13 min | 10.0 |
| Miasino | 13 min | 11.3 |
| Armeno | 16 min | 15.1 |
| Omegna | 18 min | 15.7 |
| Quarna Sopra | 27 min | 21.1 |
OSRM without traffic, measured on 6 October 2026. On the lake the road goes round the water: from one shore to the other the car takes longer than the boat.
How life is
Living in San Maurizio d'Opaglio
The town of the tap
San Maurizio d'Opaglio is the centre of Lake Orta's tap and valve district. The Museum of Taps and their Technology tells over 150 years of industry and presents companies founded between 1860 and 1965 that are still operating. According to Wikipedia the town's first tap works opened around 1920, and the municipality was formed in 1568 from the union of the villages of Briallo, Lagna and Opaglio.
It is a town that works all year, not a holiday resort. Its centre is at 372 m, 82 m above the lake and about 1.3 km from the shore; on the water is the hamlet of Lagna, with a boat landing.
Full services for a small town
With 2,999 residents (ISTAT, 1 January 2025; 2026 estimate: 2,931) it is the most populous municipality on the west shore. It has a state nursery, primary and lower secondary school, and is the seat of the San Giulio comprehensive school institute. Gozzano, with its upper secondary school, is 7 min away; Pella 6.
For healthcare, the nearest level-I emergency department for the province of Novara is in Borgomanero; Omegna has a first-aid point, not an emergency department. The three bathing points assigned to the municipality (Porto di Lagna, Prarolo, Pascolo) were rated "excellent" in the 2024 season (EEA data).
Good sun, low hazards
On 21 December our calculation gives 7 h 17 min of direct sun, from 8:15 am to 3:31 pm: the highest figure on the west shore, because the town sits on an open terrace, not under the ridge. On 21 June it is 13 h 49 min. The calculation covers terrain only.
According to ISPRA only 0.3% of residents live in areas of high or very high landslide hazard (0.9% of the area) and 0.2% in areas of medium flood hazard. These are among the lowest figures on the lake. The limit lies elsewhere: there is no railway on the west shore.
What you buy and at what price
According to OMI (2nd half of 2025), in the semi-central zone C1 standard homes are valued at €1,200–1,750/m² and villas at €1,300–1,950/m². In the centre (B1) standard homes are at €1,100–1,550/m², in the residential outskirts (D1) at €1,150–1,700/m², with villas at €1,350–1,950/m². Against the 2nd half of 2024, standard homes in zone C1 rose by 5.4% at the midpoint.
OMI has no separate lakefront zone here. These are valuations, not sale prices: ranges estimated by zone and type, on gross floor area and normal condition.
Getting there
By car, without traffic: 72 min (84 km) from Milan's Duomo, 51 min (44 km) from Malpensa T1, 79 min from Lugano. It is the west-shore place closest to Milan. The nearest stations are Orta-Miasino (3.4 km as the crow flies, on the other shore) and Bolzano Novarese (4.2 km); for Milan you change at Novara.
The Lagna boat landing is 1.4 km away. From 4 to 31 October 2026 the Orta–Island–Pella–San Filiberto–Lagna loop leaves every 35–45 minutes. Scheduled service runs from March to October; from November to February none is listed.
By car, without traffic · OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, measured on 6 October 2026.
Quotations
What the quotations say in San Maurizio d'Opaglio
| OMI zone | Type | €/m² | Rent €/m² per month | Change on 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 · centrale Centrale | Abitazioni civili | 1,100–1,550 | 3.5–4.6 | +6.0% |
| Ville e Villini | 1,300–1,900 | 4.4–6.0 | +3.2% | |
| C1 · semicentrale Semicentrale | Abitazioni civili | 1,200–1,750 | 3.9–4.6 | +5.4% |
| Ville e Villini | 1,300–1,950 | 4.2–5.5 | +3.2% | |
| D1 · periferica residenziale Periferica | Abitazioni civili | 1,150–1,700 | 3.5–5.0 | +5.6% |
| Ville e Villini | 1,350–1,950 | 4.2–5.4 | +3.1% |
Italian Revenue Agency, OMI, 2nd half of 2025, normal condition; change on the 2nd half of 2024. These are estimated ranges per zone, not individual sale prices.
Honestly
Does San Maurizio d'Opaglio suit you?
It suits you if
- You want a town that is alive all year, with schools up to lower secondary.
- You want more winter sun than the shore: 7 h 17 min on 21 December.
- Low hydrogeological hazard matters to you: 0.3% of residents in P3–P4 landslide areas.
Look elsewhere if
- You want a house on the water: the centre is 1.3 km from the shore.
- You need a train in town: the nearest station is 3.4 km away as the crow flies.
- You are after a tourist village: here the identity is the factory.
Questions
The questions we are asked
How much does a house cost in San Maurizio d'Opaglio?
OMI values standard homes at €1,100–1,750/m² depending on the zone and villas at €1,300–1,950/m² (2nd half of 2025). The highest-valued zone is the semi-central C1. These are estimated ranges, not signed prices.
Which schools are there?
A state nursery, primary and lower secondary school, plus the seat of the San Giulio comprehensive institute. For upper secondary, the nearest liceo is in Gozzano, 7 min by car. Private (paritarie) schools are not in the Ministry data.
Is San Maurizio d'Opaglio on the lake?
The municipality is: the hamlet of Lagna is on the shore, with a boat landing and three bathing points rated "excellent" in 2024. The town centre, however, is about 1.3 km from the water and 82 m higher.
How far is it from Milan?
72 min (84 km) from Piazza del Duomo and 51 min from Malpensa T1, by car without traffic. It is the west-shore place closest to Milan. By train you need Bolzano Novarese or Orta-Miasino station and a change at Novara.
Can I buy here through OrtaVillas?
Yes: TriesteVillas srl is a registered agency and can act as broker on the lake. Today, however, the lake's Private Collection has 0 homes, and this page is not a listing. Sign up to be notified, or write to richieste@triestevillas.com or call +39 347 8628738.
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Sources
- ISTAT – Popolazione residente al 1° gennaio 2025 (POSAS) · read on 2026-10-06
- Agenzia delle Entrate – OMI, quotazioni 2° semestre 2025 e 2° semestre 2024, San Maurizio d'Opaglio · read on 2026-10-06
- OSRM su dati © OpenStreetMap contributors – tempi in auto senza traffico · read on 2026-10-06
- ISPRA IdroGEO – indicatori di pericolosità, comune di San Maurizio d'Opaglio · read on 2026-10-06
- MIM – Anagrafe scuole statali a.s. 2026/27 · read on 2026-10-06
- Sole al 21 dicembre, marzo e giugno: calcolo OrtaVillas su AWS Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM/SRTM) · read on 2026-10-06
- Quota: Copernicus DEM GLO-90 via Open-Meteo Elevation API · read on 2026-10-06
- Distretto Turistico dei Laghi – Museo del rubinetto e della sua tecnologia · read on 2026-10-06
- Wikipedia (it) – San Maurizio d'Opaglio (prima rubinetteria verso il 1920; unione di Briallo, Lagna e Opaglio nel 1568) · read on 2026-10-06
- EEA – Qualità delle acque di balneazione, stagione 2024 · read on 2026-10-06
- Navigazione Lago d'Orta – Orario invernale 2026 · read on 2026-10-06
- ASL VCO – Punto di Primo Intervento di Omegna · read on 2026-10-06
- ASL NO – Borgomanero, Ospedale SS. Trinità, DEA di I livello (BUR Piemonte 1/4/2026) · read on 2026-10-06