Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Celano: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Celano

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 Oreste Ranelletti 1, Celano.

Celano, the Piccolomini castle above the Fucino plain

The Piccolomini castle towers over Celano and, below it, the Fucino plain, which until the nineteenth century was Italy's third largest lake and is now a sweep of vegetable fields. The town stands at around 800 metres on the slope rising towards the Sirente and Velino mountains, with the Celano gorge cutting into the mountain behind. Thomas of Celano, the first biographer of Saint Francis, was born here.

Geography splits the market. The historic centre is on a slope, with stone houses, many of them repaired or rebuilt after the 1915 earthquake. Lower down, towards the plain and the Rome to Pescara railway, are the newer districts and detached houses. Avezzano, the main town of the Marsica area, is close, and the Rome to Pescara motorway runs below the town.

Earthquakes come first. Nearly all of the province of L'Aquila is in zone 1, the highest on the national scale from 1 to 4 set by the Civil Protection Department, and Celano is in seismic zone 1 with expected ground acceleration of about 0.259 g, among the highest in Italy. The Avezzano earthquake of 1915 destroyed much of the Marsica, and the L'Aquila earthquake of 2009 put building safety back at the centre. Before buying, ask for the construction date, the seismic classification, any strengthening work and reconstruction or tax-relief files for seismic upgrades.

At the end of 2023 there were 10,195 residents, down 5.8% since 2011. Celano ranks 4 in the province by population and is younger than the provincial average: a mean age of 45.0, with 22.5% over 65 against 26.4%. Foreign residents make up 12.3%, many working on Fucino farms. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Winters are cold and snowy (climate zone E), and heating is a big part of running costs. Slope and landslide hazard on the hillside are read for the address; the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report finds the plot.

Key points

  • Above the Fucino plain at around 800 metres, below the castle.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.259 g.
  • 22.5% over 65, against 26.4% in the province.
  • Cold winters: heating and insulation weigh on costs.

Overview

Celano is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 10,195 residents, among the most populous in the province (4 of 108).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Celano is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.259 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Celano, 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 5.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (48). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 12.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Celano declared an average taxable income of 18,624 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Celano is in climate zone E, with 2,720 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 800 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Celano has 8 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).

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 6.1% of the land in Celano, compared with 3.2% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 4.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Celano. 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 Celano: 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 Celano 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 41 inhabited census areas in Celano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.0%
  • fair 99.0%

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

ISTAT code 066032. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.