In Italian real estate, vani are one of the most common sources of confusion for international buyers. They appear in the Visura Catastale, but they do not match the physical rooms in a property. Instead, vani are cadastral rooms — units used by the Italian cadastre to classify properties for tax purposes.
The number of vani is often not a whole number. Each space is assigned a category that determines how much it counts in the calculation: main living areas are counted as 1/1, service spaces like bathrooms or corridors as 1/3, and accessory areas such as attics or cellars as 1/4. The total is then rounded to the nearest half or whole number, which is why a Visura Catastale often shows figures like “5.5 vani.” These categories also affect the cadastral income (rendita catastale), which determines the property’s cadastral value and the annual property tax. Understanding this system helps make sense of the numbers shown in official documents.
For practical purposes, the cadastral surface (superficie catastale) is also provided in cadastral documents. This is a more recent calculation added to the cadastre and represents a calculated figure rather than a direct measurement, helping buyers and professionals compare properties more clearly.
Cadastral rooms give an idea of how a property is registered in the Italian cadastre. They explain the structure and composition of a property from a tax perspective and help international buyers read the Visura Catastale without confusion.
Сonclusion: Cadastral rooms (vani) are a key part of Italy’s cadastral system. They show how properties are registered and valued for tax purposes.