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Castelpetroso: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Castelpetroso

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 Magnolia 1, Castelpetroso.

Castelpetroso, the Addolorata sanctuary and its upland hamlets

For many people in Molise, Castelpetroso means the sanctuary of the Addolorata, the large neo-Gothic basilica and pilgrimage site on the road between Isernia and Campobasso. The municipality is made up of several hamlets spread over the high ground between Isernia and Bojano, at around eight hundred metres, with the Matese mountains on the horizon. Isernia is the nearest reference for offices, schools and the hospital.

The altitude makes itself felt: cold winters, frequent snow, Italian climate zone E. Buyers should look at insulation, the boiler, the roof and access to the house in icy weather. The hamlets differ in their distance from the main road and from services, and the report measures these distances from the exact address.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 1,516 residents in 2023, down 8.8% since 2011. The average age of 48.2 is almost the same as the 48.1 of the province of Isernia, and over-65s make up 27.6%. Foreign residents account for 2.2%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is high. Castelpetroso is in seismic zone 1, like 32 of the 52 municipalities in the province, while the other 20 are in zone 2; the expected ground acceleration is about 0.266 g. Before buying, ask for the design, the structural sign-off and any seismic upgrading, and for stone houses have an engineer assess the walls and floors.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the land parcel from the address. On the slopes, landslide hazard is read for the exact spot.

Key points

  • Addolorata sanctuary, between Isernia and Bojano.
  • Mountain village: cold, snowy winters.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.266 g.
  • Population down 8.8% since 2011.

Overview

Castelpetroso is a municipality in the province of Isernia, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 1,516 residents, ranked 11 of 52 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castelpetroso 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 0.266 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Castelpetroso, 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 8.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castelpetroso declared an average taxable income of 17,549 euros, below the provincial average (20,102 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Castelpetroso is in climate zone E, with 2,502 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 871 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castelpetroso has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 green area.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 5.0% of the land in Castelpetroso, 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 Castelpetroso.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castelpetroso: 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 Castelpetroso 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 17 inhabited census areas in Castelpetroso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 3.3%
  • fair 96.7%

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 094010. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.