Piacenza enjoys a particularly advantageous geographical position, located at the crossroads of intermodal corridors and just 70 km from Milan, with important logistics hubs and the Piacenza Expo international exhibition centre. The province has a population of 287 thousand residents and is home to two important universities, the campuses of the Polytechnic of Milan and of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, with about 4,200 enrolled students (RER, a.y.2023/24). The main industries are mechanical engineering (metal and hydraulic products, oil and gas supply chain), agribusiness (industrial tomatoes, viticulture, local cold cuts) and construction. The area offers a rich variety of historic and natural attractions such as castles, villages, art cities, the Po river, and hilly landscapes. The service Invest in Piacenza (investinpiacenza.com) offers at a glance a complete overview about the industrial areas available in the province of Piacenza.
Population
PIACENZA | Data | Source – Year |
Total population | 287,241 | RER – 2024 |
Male | 49.3% | RER – 2024 |
Female | 50.7% | RER – 2024 |
% youth population (<15 years) | 12.1% | RER – 2024 |
% elderly population (>65 years) | 25.2% | RER – 2024 |
No. students enrolled in university | 4,178 | RER – a.y. 2023/24 |
Residential property market trends
(Source: OMI Agenzia delle Entrate; data processing by ART-ER)
The entire province of Piacenza is made up of 46 municipalities, with 4 Unions of municipalities (2025, RER).
Overall, the number of transactions for the residential property market has grown across the entire province in the 2018-23 period, from 3,275 units in 2018 to 4,559 in 2023, with a percentage increase of +39.2%.
In terms of property size, transactions in the province of Piacenza in 2023 can be broken down as shown:
- 6% properties up to 50 sqm
- 25% properties between 50 sqm and 85 sqm
- 30% properties between 85 sqm and 115 sqm
- 17% properties between 115 sqm and 145 sqm
- 23% over 145 sqm
Description of socio-economic context
Production specialisation, districts and specialities, foreign investors in the province
The main industries are mechanical engineering (metal products, machine tools, hydraulic components, oil and gas supply chain), agrifood (processing tomatoes, viticulture in the Colli Piacentini area, local cold cuts and cheeses), and building and construction. Other relevant sectors include construction and logistics (see Services).
There are about 112 companies in the province with a turnover of more than 1 million euros controlled by a foreign global ultimate owner (2023, Aida BvD, elab. ART-ER), including Amada, Amazon, Siemens, Wipak Bordi, LPR, Bobst, Orton, Emerson Automation, Bolzoni, Tectubi, Drillmec.
Other outstanding companies include Astra Veicoli Industriali, Gamma S.p.A., MCM, Jobs, Colla S.p.A., and Mandelli Sistemi.
Companies and work | Data | Source – Year |
Number of local units | 32,925 | Infocamere – 2024 |
Employees | 112,537 | Infocamere – 2024 |
Unemployment rate | 6.4% | Istat – 2023 |
Employees by key sector
(Infocamere 2024, data processing by ART-ER)
Services
Innovation, transport, smart city, etc.
Piacenza holds 23rd place nationally (out of over 100 cities) in the 2019 smart city index by I-City Rank (Forum PA). Logistics is particularly strategic here with an important intermodal terminal, strategic areas (e.g. Castel San Giovanni and Le Mose pole) and a significant presence of multinational distribution centres, including Amazon (the first centre in Italy), Moncler, Ikea, and Geodis. The Piacenza Technopole is divided across 2 separate locations and is home to 2 industrial research laboratories (MUSP for machine tools and LEAP for energy and environment) as well as a business incubator. Important laboratories include the RSE.
Cultural and natural heritage, accommodation, tourism
There is a widespread presence of buildings of historical and artistic interest, from the provincial capital to the Castles of the Duchy and numerous ancient villages including Bobbio (Italy’s most beautiful village in 2019). The province registers visitor numbers equivalent to 569, 732 overnight stays (2024, RER) and an accommodation capacity of approximately 8,735 beds (2023,RER). There are plenty of food and wine attractions in the hilly area while numerous nature trails stretch from the Po river area to the Via Francigena. Outstanding cultural attractions presents excellences such as the Piacenza’s municipal theatre and the “Nicolini” conservatory.
For more information: https://emiliaromagnaturismo.it/en/towns/piacenza
Map of main structures and infrastructure
Distances | Km |
Piacenza – Milano | 70 |
Piacenza – Brescia | 89 |
Piacenza – Parma | 67 |
Piacenza – Bologna | 155 |



A selection of companies from the Province of Piacenza












Real estate in Piacenza
EX HOTEL SAN MARCO
CASCINA SAN SAVINO BUILDING
Piacenza Bastione Borghetto Building
TORRIONE FODESTA BUILDING
EX HOTEL SAN MARCO
CASCINA SAN SAVINO BUILDING
Piacenza Bastione Borghetto Building
TORRIONE FODESTA BUILDING
EX HOTEL SAN MARCO
CASCINA SAN SAVINO BUILDING
Piacenza Bastione Borghetto Building
In-depth links
- Piacenza The Place – piacenzatheplace.it
- Investinpiacenza – investinpiacenza.com
- Tecnopolo di Piacenza – www.tecnopolo.piacenza.it
- Comune di Piacenza – comune.piacenza.it/benvenuti
- Video – Benvenuti in Piacenza: comune.piacenza.it/benvenuti/eventi/presentazione-guida-michelin/guida-michelin
Italian only:
- Associazione Strada dei vini e dei sapori dei colli piacentini – stradadeicollipiacentini.it
- Associazione Strada del Po e dei Sapori della Bassa Piacentina – www.stradadelpo.it