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Castelmola: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Castelmola

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: Contrada Mastrissa 1, Castelmola.

Castelmola, the village on the crag above Taormina

Above Taormina, on a spur of rock overlooking the Ionian coast, Castelmola keeps the remains of its castle and a centre of alleys, small squares and terraces. The view stretches from Etna to the sea, and tourism, which climbs up from Taormina on a hairpin road, is an important part of the local economy.

House hunters will mostly find stone homes in the old centre, small and on several levels, and houses along the road linking the village to Taormina. Part of the market is second homes and properties let to holidaymakers: if that is your plan, look into the local rules on short-term lets before you buy. For services, secondary schools and hospital care, people go down to Taormina or along the coast. Climate zone D brings winters cooler than by the sea. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The population has barely moved: 1,071 residents in 2023, down 0.2% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 48.9 against 46.7 in the province; over-65s are 28.9% and foreign nationals 6.3%. Households are small, averaging 1.82 people.

In the province of Messina, 17 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 and 91 in zone 2. Castelmola is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of 0.214 g, a high value. For a house in the old centre, ask the seller for paperwork on any structural work.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the address to the plot. On a crag with steep sides, slope and the official landslide maps should be read for the exact address.

Key points

  • Village on a crag above Taormina, looking out to Etna and the sea.
  • Population steady: down 0.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.214 g.
  • Holiday lets: check local rules before buying.

Overview

Castelmola is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,071 residents, ranked 80 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castelmola is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (91 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.214 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Castelmola, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 6.3% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castelmola declared an average taxable income of 17,261 euros, below the provincial average (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Castelmola is in climate zone D, with 1,504 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 529 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castelmola has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 green area.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets 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 5.4% of the land in Castelmola, compared with 6.0% 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 Castelmola.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castelmola: 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 Castelmola 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 19 inhabited census areas in Castelmola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 55.1%
  • good 44.9%

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 083015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.