Castel San Vincenzo: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Isernia, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Castel San Vincenzo
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 Colle 1, Castel San Vincenzo.
Castel San Vincenzo, the upper Volturno valley and its abbey
Within the municipality of Castel San Vincenzo, in the upper Volturno valley in the province of Isernia, lies the abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno, one of the great monasteries of medieval Italy, with archaeological excavations near the river's springs. The village itself sits higher up on the slopes of the Mainarde mountains, and not far away is a reservoir. It is a quiet mountain area, with Isernia as the reference town for services and work.
The property market is small: houses in the old centre, often in need of work, and a few scattered homes near the lake or along country roads. Climate zone E and the altitude, around 750 metres, call for attention to insulation and heating. If you are considering a holiday home, also weigh up the distance to shops and a pharmacy, which the report measures from the address.
The village has lost many residents since 2011. In 2023 there were 433, 20.6% fewer than the 545 counted at the census. The estimated average age is 52.0, against 48.1 for the province, and over-65s make up 32.6%. Foreign residents account for 1.8%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.
Earthquake hazard is high: Castel San Vincenzo is in seismic zone 1 of the national classification kept by the Civil Protection Department, like 31 other municipalities in the province of Isernia, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.272 g. For a stone house you need precise information on the structure: year of construction, any strengthening and the paperwork for the work done.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the municipality's cadastral maps, and the report traces the address back to its land parcel. Near the lake and watercourses, flood hazard should be checked on the official maps, as should landslide hazard on the slopes.
Key points
- Upper Volturno valley, with the abbey of San Vincenzo and a lake.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.272 g.
- Population down 20.6% since 2011, now 433.
- Over-65s at 32.6%, average age 52.0.
Overview
Castel San Vincenzo is a municipality in the province of Isernia, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 433 residents, ranked 41 of 52 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castel San Vincenzo is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (32 of 52) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.272 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Castel San Vincenzo, 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 20.6%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (48). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castel San Vincenzo declared an average taxable income of 19,295 euros, in line with the province (20,102 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castel San Vincenzo is in climate zone E, with 2,396 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 749 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castel San Vincenzo has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility and 2 parks and green areas.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.5 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 1.8% of the land in Castel San Vincenzo, compared with 3.4% in the province and 4.0% 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 no contaminated sites in Castel San Vincenzo.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castel San Vincenzo: 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 San Vincenzo 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 10 inhabited census areas in Castel San Vincenzo. 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 094012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.