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Barete: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Barete

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 San Sabino 1, Barete.

Barete, in the upper Aterno valley near L'Aquila

L'Aquila is not far away, but Barete feels like a mountain village. The municipality lies in the upper valley of the Aterno, the river that flows down towards the provincial capital, with its town hall at around 800 metres and houses spread across the hillside among fields and woods. For work, the university, the hospital and offices, people look to L'Aquila, a drive down the valley.

Buyers here often work in the city and want more space, or are looking for a family house to restore. The housing stock is varied: old stone houses, buildings rebuilt or repaired in recent years and newer construction. Before buying it is important to know which of these the house is, and to get the records of the work, the structural sign-off certificates (collaudi) and any permits still open.

In 2023 Istat, the national statistics institute, counted 631 residents, down 7.1% on 2011. The average age is 49.6 against 47.5 in the province, over-65s make up 32.5% and foreign residents 10.1%. Average declared income is in line with the provincial figure.

Barete is in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection (Protezione Civile) classification, the highest class, like 102 other municipalities in the province of L'Aquila, and the expected ground acceleration in the village is about 0.260 g. A structural survey by an engineer costs little compared with the value of what you are buying. The climate zone is E, with cold winters.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published and the report traces the address to the land parcel. On the hillside and near the valley's watercourses it reads the official landslide and flood maps for that point.

Key points

  • Upper Aterno valley village, with L'Aquila as the nearby city.
  • 631 residents, down 7.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.260 g.
  • Ask for work records, structural certificates and open permits.

Overview

Barete is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 631 residents, ranked 69 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Barete is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.260 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Barete, 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 7.1%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (48). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 10.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Barete declared an average taxable income of 22,862 euros, in line with the province (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Barete is in climate zone E, with 2,720 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 800 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Barete has 1 school and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 per 1,000 residents.

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 3.0% of the land in Barete, compared with 3.2% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Barete.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Barete: 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 Barete 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 11 inhabited census areas in Barete. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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

ISTAT code 066008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.