Castel del Monte: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Castel del Monte
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 Centrale 1, Castel del Monte.
Castel del Monte, on the edge of Campo Imperatore
Above thirteen hundred metres, on the southern edge of the Campo Imperatore plateau, Castel del Monte is a stone-built shepherds' village inside the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. The village is built against the hill, with houses packed around the upper part and covered passages between buildings. L'Aquila, for hospitals, the university and offices, is reached by car down the valley.
The tradition of sheep farming is still visible, with high pastures and livestock farms around the village. In recent years tourists, hikers and new residents have arrived: 21.5% of the population is foreign, and many houses are used as second homes. In climate zone F, at this height, winters are long and snowy: insulation, heating and access need weighing up before the price.
In 2023 there were 400 residents, down 10.5% on 2011. The estimated average age is 50.0 (provincial figure 47.5), over-65s make up 31.8% and households average 1.65 people. Declared incomes are below the average for the province of L'Aquila.
Earthquakes are the main issue for buyers: Castel del Monte is in seismic zone 1, the most severe class in the national scheme run by the Civil Protection Department, like 102 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.244 g. Many buildings in the area have reconstruction or strengthening files: always ask for the paperwork on the work done, who signed it off and whether any grants are still open.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the land parcel from the address, with landslide and avalanche checks from the official maps.
Key points
- Edge of Campo Imperatore, in the Gran Sasso National Park.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.244 g.
- Foreign residents at 21.5%, many second homes.
- Always ask for reconstruction and strengthening papers.
Overview
Castel del Monte is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 400 residents, ranked 83 of 108 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castel del Monte 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 0.244 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Castel del Monte, 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 10.5%. 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 21.5% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castel del Monte declared an average taxable income of 16,904 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castel del Monte is in climate zone F, with 3,428 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,310 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castel del Monte 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 1.1% of the land in Castel del Monte, 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 Castel del Monte.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castel del Monte: 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 Castel del Monte 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 4 inhabited census areas in Castel del Monte. 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
- 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 066026. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.