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Cappadocia: 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 Cappadocia

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 Strada Nuova 1, Cappadocia.

Cappadocia, the source of the Liri and the snow of Campo Rotondo

With a name that recalls Anatolia, Cappadocia is a mountain village in Abruzzo, above a thousand metres, in the Simbruini mountains near the border with Lazio. The river Liri rises within its territory before running down the Roveto valley, and the municipality includes the hamlets of Petrella Liri and Verrecchie. Above the village, the Campo Rotondo ski area draws visitors, mostly at winter weekends.

Alongside residents' homes there are many second homes, used in summer for the cool air and in winter for the snow. A buyer has to allow for climate zone F, with long winters and high heating costs, and should look closely at roofs, windows and insulation. The average declared income in the village is close to that of the province of L'Aquila.

The population is growing: 576 residents in 2023, 4.5% more than the 551 recorded in 2011 by Istat, the national statistics office. It remains an older community, with an estimated average age of 53.9 and over-65s at 35.1%, against 26.4% in the province. Households are small, averaging 1.47 people.

In the province of L'Aquila, 103 of the 108 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection classification. Cappadocia is one of the 5 in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.191 g in the built-up area, still a value to take seriously. For a masonry house, ask the seller whether any strengthening work has been done and what paperwork backs it up.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality. Among slopes and streams, gradient and landslides are checked for the exact address in the report.

Key points

  • In the Simbruini mountains, where the river Liri rises.
  • Population up 4.5% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.191 g.
  • Climate zone F and many second homes for snow and summer.

Overview

Cappadocia is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 576 residents, ranked 73 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cappadocia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 5 of 108 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.191 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cappadocia, 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 grown by 4.5%. The estimated average age is 54 years, higher than the province average (48). 35% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 4.3% of the population. On average, a household has 1.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cappadocia declared an average taxable income of 23,052 euros, in line with the province (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cappadocia is in climate zone F, with 3,272 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,108 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cappadocia has 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 1.2% of the land in Cappadocia, 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

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 contaminated sites in Cappadocia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cappadocia: 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 Cappadocia 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 9 inhabited census areas in Cappadocia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 21.7%
  • good 78.3%

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 066023. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.