Arce: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Frosinone, Lazio. 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 Borgo Murata 1, Arce.
Arce, a hill town above the Liri valley
Arce sits on the side of a hill overlooking the Liri valley, in the stretch of southern Lazio (the area locals call Ciociaria) between Frosinone and Cassino. The old town takes up the upper part, with narrow lanes and stone houses, while newer building has spread down towards the plain and along the provincial roads. The town hall stands at about 250 metres and the climate zone is D, which means mild winters with a few cold, damp weeks.
Many residents commute, and the rest work in small local businesses. The main employers are in the industrial areas around Frosinone, Ceprano and Cassino, and the A1 motorway, with its Ceprano junction close by, runs to Rome one way and Naples the other. Most homes on the market are detached houses and small blocks of flats; what changes their appeal is how close they are to the main road and how steep the plot is.
In 2023 there were 5,390 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 6.8% on 2011, or 393 fewer people. The average age is 47.9, against 46.8 for the province; over-65s make up 27.8% and foreign residents 7.0%.
Earthquakes are the point not to underestimate. Arce is in seismic zone 2 of the national classification kept by the Protezione Civile (Civil Protection Department), and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.194 g. In the province of Frosinone, 30 municipalities are even in zone 1, the highest class. For a masonry house in the old town, ask for the building permits, find out whether any strengthening work has been done, and have a surveyor check floors and roof before you sign.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Arce, so the report can trace an address to its land parcel. Slope and distance from watercourses change between the hilltop and the plain, which is why landslide and flood hazard are read for the individual house rather than for the town as a whole.
Key points
- Hill town above the Liri valley, between Frosinone and Cassino.
- Population down 6.8% since 2011; over-65s at 27.8%.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.194 g.
- Old town on the hilltop, newer homes towards the plain.
Overview
Arce is a municipality in the province of Frosinone, in Lazio. At the end of 2023 it had 5,390 residents, ranked 21 of 91 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Arce is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2A. Most municipalities in the province (59 of 91) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.194 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Arce, 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 6.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 7.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Arce declared an average taxable income of 22,424 euros, in line with the province (21,514 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Arce is in climate zone D, with 1,602 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 247 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Arce has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).
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 8.2% of the land in Arce, compared with 6.9% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Arce. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Arce: 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 Arce 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 67 inhabited census areas in Arce. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.3%
- fair 65.1%
- good 34.6%
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 060008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.