Fire and explosion insurance for your Italian mortgage
When you take out a mortgage on an Italian property, the bank will normally require a fire and explosion policy (polizza incendio e scoppio) on the building. You do not have to buy the bank's own policy: Italian rules oblige lenders to accept an equivalent policy you find yourself, without changing the loan conditions.
Consultation in English is included
Italian policies are written in Italian. We explain the cover, the exclusions and the paperwork to you in English, before you buy and when you claim, at no extra cost. Call +39 0141 441493 or email info@assicurazionecastellodiannone.it.
In short
- The fire policy protects the building that secures the mortgage; it is typically required by the bank, not by law.
- Since Law 124/2017, banks must accept a non-life policy you choose on the market, as long as it has the minimum content they require.
- The policy is usually tied to the bank with a vincolo (assignment of the claim payment), which the insurer issues in time for the deed.
- Ask the bank for its written information on the minimum requirements, then compare prices before the deed.
- Consultation in English is included: we check the bank's requirements with you.
Mortgage fire insurance
Get a price in a couple of minutes
CasaMia (fire and explosion section for mortgages), underwritten by Reale Mutua. Consultation in English is included: we go through the Italian policy wording with you before you sign.
Why the bank asks for fire cover
The property is the bank's security. If it burns down, the mortgage is still owed: instalments keep falling due on a house that cannot be lived in. The fire and explosion policy pays to rebuild, which protects you and the lender. IVASS, the Italian insurance supervisor, notes that this cover is "typically required by the bank" for a property mortgage.
Your right to choose your own policy
Article 28 of Decree-Law 1/2012, as extended by Law 124/2017, requires banks and lenders to accept life and non-life policies that the customer finds independently, without changing the conditions offered for the mortgage, provided the policy has the minimum content the bank requires. The minimum content rules are in IVASS Regulation no. 40 of 3 May 2012.
- Ask the bank for the written information on the policy it requires and its minimum content.
- Get a quote for an equivalent policy (sum insured equal to the rebuilding cost, same events covered, same duration).
- Present it to the bank before the deed (rogito), with the vincolo in the bank's favour.
What the vincolo is
A vincolo is a clause attached to the policy, usually saying that, in the event of a claim, the insurer pays the bank (up to the outstanding loan) and that the policy cannot be cancelled or reduced without the bank knowing. It is standard in Italy and the bank's notary will ask for it. We issue it addressed to your lender, in time for the deed.
What our mortgage fire policy covers
Our mortgage policy is the fire section of CasaMia by Reale Mutua on the building only. It covers material damage to the building caused by fire, lightning, implosion, explosion and bursting, plus liability for damage that a fire spreading from your property causes to third parties (point 6.1.E). It is insured at full value, so the sum insured must match the rebuilding cost.
It does not cover earthquakes and floods, which CasaMia always excludes, and it does not cover contents. If you want those too, see the home insurance guide.
Mortgage fire insurance
Price the fire policy for your mortgage
CasaMia (fire and explosion section for mortgages), underwritten by Reale Mutua. Consultation in English is included: we go through the Italian policy wording with you before you sign.
Does the bank also require life insurance?
Sometimes the bank offers, or asks for, a policy that repays the loan if the borrower dies. The same freedom of choice applies. A term life policy you choose yourself can protect your family on the mortgage and beyond: see the life insurance guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is fire insurance compulsory for a mortgage in Italy?
It is typically required by the bank as a condition of the mortgage, to protect the property given as security. It is a contractual requirement of the lender rather than a general legal obligation on homeowners.
Do I have to buy the bank's insurance with my Italian mortgage?
No. Since Law 124/2017 banks must accept a life or non-life policy you find on the market, without changing the loan conditions, as long as it has the minimum content the bank requires.
What is a vincolo on an Italian insurance policy?
A clause that makes the insurer pay the bank, up to the outstanding loan, if there is a claim, and stops the policy being cancelled without the bank knowing. The notary usually asks to see it at the deed.
How much should the building be insured for?
For the cost of rebuilding it, not the purchase price. Our policy is at full value: if the sum insured is too low, a claim is paid in proportion.
Does the mortgage fire policy cover earthquakes?
No. CasaMia excludes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and inundations among the risks always excluded.
Mortgage fire insurance
Ready to compare? Get your quote online
CasaMia (fire and explosion section for mortgages), underwritten by Reale Mutua. Consultation in English is included: we go through the Italian policy wording with you before you sign.
Sources
Official sources checked on 24 October 2026. Rules change: always check the latest version before you act.
Important information
This guide is general information, not personal advice. Cover, limits, excesses and exclusions are set by the policy documents (DIP, additional DIP and Conditions of Insurance), which are in Italian and are what counts legally: we give them to you, and talk you through them in English, before you sign.
Assicurazione Castello di Annone di Rabacchin Matteo, VAT no. 01627330051, is an insurance intermediary registered in the Italian Single Register of Insurance Intermediaries (RUI), Section E no. E000517439, supervised by IVASS. Online quotes and purchase are not available in every Italian region: the quote tool tells you at the first step if the service is not available in your region.