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Cittanova: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cittanova

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 Nazionale 2, Cittanova.

Cittanova, straight streets and olive groves below Aspromonte

Arriving in Cittanova, you notice the straight streets and regular blocks, unlike the hill towns around it. They are the result of rebuilding after the great earthquake of 1783, which destroyed most of the towns on the Gioia Tauro plain. The town sits at around 400 metres on the edge of the plain, where the slopes of the Aspromonte mountains begin to rise, surrounded by centuries-old olive groves that cover much of the land.

Gioia Tauro and its port are about half an hour's drive away, and the A2 motorway can be joined on the plain. Many residents work in farming or local services, and declared incomes are below the average for the province of Reggio Calabria. The market offers masonry houses in the centre, blocks built from the 1960s onwards and country houses among the olive trees, often at low prices.

The town's history points to the main issue. All 97 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 1, the highest class on the Civil Protection scale, and in Cittanova the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.258 g, among the highest values in this group of towns. For any purchase you need the design year, the structural sign-off and a history of the work done; for older masonry houses and buildings with added storeys, a structural check by an engineer before making an offer.

At the end of 2023 there were 9,632 residents, down 6.9% on 2011. The estimated average age is 44.5, just below the provincial 45.2, over-65s are 23.0% and foreign residents 7.0%.

On the slopes towards Aspromonte and along the streams, the report checks landslide and flood hazard at the address, after finding the land parcel on the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Gioia Tauro plain, rebuilt on a grid after 1783.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 1, here about 0.258 g.
  • Population down 6.9% since 2011.
  • Masonry and added storeys: structural check before any offer.

Overview

Cittanova is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 9,632 residents, ranked 11 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cittanova is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.258 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cittanova, 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 6.9%. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 7.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cittanova declared an average taxable income of 17,715 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cittanova is in climate zone D, with 1,423 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 400 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cittanova has 11 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities, 5 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.7 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 5.2% of the land in Cittanova, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Cittanova.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cittanova: 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 Cittanova 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 49 inhabited census areas in Cittanova. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 080028. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.