Altomonte: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.
For example: Via Balbia 1, Altomonte.
Altomonte, the Gothic hill town above the Esaro valley
Altomonte's landmark is the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, one of the rare examples of Gothic architecture in Calabria, at the top of the old town. The town stands on a hill at around 450 metres in northern Calabria, looking over the Esaro valley and the plain that runs down towards Sibari; behind it rise the uplands leading to the Pollino.
Buyers will find two different settings. Up top is the historic centre, with stone houses on sloping streets, some restored and others needing work; lower down, towards the valley, there are scattered houses, homes with land and farms. The A2 motorway runs through the valley not far away, putting Cosenza and Castrovillari within reach. Average declared incomes are low, below the provincial average.
In 2023 there were 3,993 residents, down 8.0% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age (46.7) and share of over-65s (24.9%) are close to those of the province of Cosenza; foreign residents make up 2.8%.
Earthquake hazard is high. The province of Cosenza has 65 municipalities in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection classification and 85 in zone 2; Altomonte is in zone 2, but the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area, about 0.256 g, is high, close to the values of the most exposed areas. For a masonry house in the old town you need a technical assessment of the structure; for newer buildings, the design and inspection documents.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the plot from the address. Between the hill and the valley, slope and landslide hazard vary a lot, and near watercourses so does flood hazard: the report checks both at the exact point.
Key points
- Hill town with the Gothic church of Santa Maria della Consolazione.
- Population down 8.0% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, high expected acceleration of about 0.256 g.
- Sloping old town and scattered houses towards the Esaro valley.
Overview
Altomonte is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 3,993 residents, ranked 38 of 150 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Altomonte is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.256 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Altomonte, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 8.0%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Altomonte declared an average taxable income of 14,732 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Altomonte is in climate zone D, with 1,727 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 455 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Altomonte has 6 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.
There are 1.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).
Public transport
We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 5.2% of the land in Altomonte, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.8 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Altomonte; one has been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Altomonte: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.
House prices
The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.
Land registry
The cadastral maps for Altomonte are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.
Liveability area by area
The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 50 inhabited census areas in Altomonte. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 7.4%
- fair 71.8%
- good 20.8%
Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out
Data sources
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 078009. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.