Castellaneta: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Taranto, Puglia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Castellaneta
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 Roma 0, Castellaneta.
Castellaneta, the ravine town and its Ionian seaside
Castellaneta has two quite separate sides. The town itself stands inland, on the Murgia hills that slope down towards the Gulf of Taranto, built on the edge of a deep ravine (gravina). Castellaneta Marina is on the Ionian coast, among pine woods and beaches, with holiday villages and second homes. Rudolph Valentino was born here, and the town remembers him with a museum and a monument.
Buying in one or the other means different things. In town there are old-centre houses, often masonry and on several levels, and blocks of flats in newer districts. At the Marina many homes are lived in only in summer, several services open mainly during the season, and upkeep is affected by the sea air. For work, hospitals and public offices the reference point is Taranto.
The population is falling: 16,073 residents at the end of 2023, down 6.1% since 2011, or 1,052 fewer people (Istat, the national statistics office). The estimated average age is 47.5 (46.5 in the province), over-65s make up 26.3% and foreign residents 3.6%. Incomes are in line with the province of Taranto. There are 86 cafés and restaurants on record, denser than the provincial average, partly thanks to the coast.
The province of Taranto is split between zones 3 and 4, and Castellaneta is one of the 10 municipalities in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.146 g. For an older house in the centre, have walls, vaults and floors checked before buying.
The ravine edge and the slopes are where landslides need checking; along the coast and near the channels running to the sea, flooding. The report checks both for the exact address, and the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality.
Key points
- Hill town on a ravine plus Castellaneta Marina on the Ionian Sea.
- Down 6.1% since 2011, over-65s at 26.3%.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.146 g.
- Many holiday homes and seasonal services at the Marina.
Overview
Castellaneta is a municipality in the province of Taranto, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 16,073 residents, ranked 7 of 29 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castellaneta is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 10 of 29 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.146 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 6.1%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castellaneta declared an average taxable income of 20,218 euros, in line with the province (20,557 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castellaneta is in climate zone D, with 1,534 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 245 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castellaneta has 10 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 9 healthcare facilities, 15 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
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 4.4% of the land in Castellaneta, compared with 9.6% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.1 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Castellaneta is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Castellaneta. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castellaneta: 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 Castellaneta 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 142 inhabited census areas in Castellaneta. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.7%
- fair 10.0%
- good 89.3%
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
- 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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Puglia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- 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 073003. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.