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Catenanuova: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Catenanuova

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 Principe Umberto 1, Catenanuova.

Catenanuova, in the Dittaino valley towards the Catania plain

At the bottom of the Dittaino valley, at the far eastern end of the province of Enna, lies Catenanuova, where the inland hills begin to open towards the plain of Catania. Above the town, on a height, you can see Centuripe. It is a farming town, surrounded by wheat fields and citrus groves, with very hot summers: the area is known as one of the hottest in Sicily.

The main advantage is its position on the transport routes. The junction on the Palermo to Catania motorway is at the edge of town and the station on the railway between the two cities also serves Centuripe. Catania, with its airport, hospitals and university, is under an hour away. The town has 34 recorded services, including 5 supermarkets.

The population is young for inland Sicily: an average age of 44.1 against 46.4 in the province, with over-65s at 21.8%. But the town is emptying. In 2023 there were 4,454 residents, 545 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 10.9%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Catenanuova is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.120 g. If you are buying in a building from the 1960s or 1970s, ask for the design and the type of structure, and for floors added later, check that they were authorised and signed off.

The valley floor is flat and close to the river, and the surrounding slopes are clay. The report checks both the Dittaino flood maps and the landslide maps for the address. In summer, also consider orientation, roof insulation and shading, which make a big difference to comfort.

Key points

  • Dittaino valley, with motorway junction and station close by.
  • 4,454 residents, down 10.9% since 2011.
  • Young population: average age 44.1, over-65s at 21.8%.
  • Seismic zone 2; check flooding and landslides.

Overview

Catenanuova is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,454 residents, ranked 13 of 20 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Catenanuova is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 20) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.120 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Catenanuova, 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 10.9%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (46). 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Catenanuova declared an average taxable income of 17,471 euros, below the provincial average (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Catenanuova is in climate zone C, with 918 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 170 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Catenanuova has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 1 sports facility and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.2 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.4).

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 13.2% of the land in Catenanuova, compared with 3.2% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Catenanuova.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Catenanuova: 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 Catenanuova 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 33 inhabited census areas in Catenanuova. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.2%
  • fair 8.3%
  • good 91.5%

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 086006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.