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Cisternino: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cisternino

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 Barbagiulo 0, Cisternino.

Cisternino, white houses and trulli in the Itria valley

Cisternino is one of the towns of the Itria valley, along with Locorotondo, Martina Franca and Alberobello, and sits on the edge of the plateau at about four hundred metres, looking out over the olive groves that run down to the coast at Ostuni and Fasano. The old centre is a maze of lanes, arches and whitewashed houses with outside staircases, listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia, an association of Italy's finest small towns. It is also known for its fornelli pronti, butcher's shops where the meat you pick at the counter is grilled and served on the spot.

The countryside is dotted with trulli, the region's cone-roofed stone houses, and with farmhouses, and in recent decades many have been bought and restored as holiday homes, including by foreign buyers. If you are buying in the country, there are specific checks to make: many houses are not on mains drainage and some have no mains water, so check the cistern or well, the waste system and whether extensions were authorised. The cone roofs of dry-laid stone slabs need maintenance by experienced craftsmen.

In 2023 there were 11,095 residents, down 5.5% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The population is older than the province of Brindisi: an average age of 49.0 against 46.7, with over-65s at 28.9% against 25.1%. Foreign residents make up 3.3%. Tourism shows in the services: 114 bars and restaurants, 10.27 per 1,000 residents against 5.71 provincially.

Earthquake hazard is low: all 20 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection Department's scale, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.055 g. The plateau is cooler and damper than the coast, and damp in stone walls is the most common problem.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the whole municipality, trulli included, and the report traces an address back to its land parcel and building. Landslide and flood hazard is limited but depends on the exact spot, so it is checked at the address.

Key points

  • Itria valley, a white old town at about four hundred metres.
  • Trulli and farmhouses: check water, drainage and extensions.
  • Population down 5.5% since 2011, over-65s at 28.9%.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Brindisi.

Overview

Cisternino is a municipality in the province of Brindisi, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 11,095 residents, ranked 12 of 20 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cisternino is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 20 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.055 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 5.5%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cisternino declared an average taxable income of 18,974 euros, in line with the province (19,420 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cisternino is in climate zone D, with 1,590 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 394 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cisternino has 6 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 14 sports facilities and 5 parks and green areas.

There are 0.5 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 12.7% of the land in Cisternino, compared with 10.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 3.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cisternino is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 Cisternino.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cisternino: 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 Cisternino 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 94 inhabited census areas in Cisternino. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.2%
  • fair 57.9%
  • good 41.9%

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 074005. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.