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Cassaro: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Siracusa, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cassaro

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 Umberto I 1, Cassaro.

Cassaro, in the Hyblaean hills above the Anapo valley

Cassaro lies in the Hyblaean Mountains (Monti Iblei), inland from Syracuse, on a rocky spur overlooking the valley of the river Anapo. The town hall stands at about 550 metres and the climate is cooler than on the coast, with climate zone D winters. The village is a cluster of houses along a few streets, surrounded by farmland and limestone cliffs; for work, secondary schools and hospitals people drive to the larger towns of the province.

Homes for sale are mostly village houses on several floors, often stone-built and altered over time, plus a few country houses. Towards the edge of the spur the ground drops steeply: the report measures elevation and slope at the exact point and reads the official landslide hazard maps, which on slopes need checking address by address rather than as an average for the village.

At the end of 2023 Istat, the national statistics office, counted 720 residents, 93 fewer than the 813 of 2011 (down 11.4%). The population is older than average: a mean age of 49.3 against 45.4 in the province, and over-65s at 29.7% against 23.3%. Households average 1.96 people and foreign residents are 7.2%. Average declared income is a little below the provincial figure.

Earthquakes are the thing not to overlook. Cassaro is in seismic zone 1, the highest class, like 16 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.276 g. In a house that has been extended or raised over the decades, have a surveyor check the load-bearing walls, floors and any strengthening work, and ask for the building permits.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the report can trace an address to its land parcel and building.

Key points

  • Village in the Hyblaean hills, overlooking the Anapo valley.
  • 720 residents, down 11.4% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 29.7%, against 23.3% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.276 g.

Overview

Cassaro is a municipality in the province of Siracusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 720 residents, among the smallest in the province (21 of 21).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cassaro is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 21) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.276 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cassaro, 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 11.4%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (45). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 7.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cassaro declared an average taxable income of 18,913 euros, below the provincial average (20,509 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cassaro is in climate zone D, with 1,409 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 550 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cassaro has 3 schools 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 4.7% of the land in Cassaro, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.6% 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 Cassaro.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cassaro: 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 Cassaro 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 6 inhabited census areas in Cassaro. 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 089007. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.