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Desulo: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Desulo

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 Cagliari 2, Desulo.

Desulo, the Barbagia on the slopes of the Gennargentu

Desulo lies in the mountainous heart of Sardinia, on the slopes of the Gennargentu massif, at almost nine hundred metres. The village stretches along a hillside among chestnut groves and woods, and it is known across the island for its traditional costume and a long history of sheep farming.

This is a place for people looking for Sardinia's mountains rather than its coast. Nuoro and the main services are a long way off on inland mountain roads, and anyone working elsewhere has to accept long journeys. Houses are built of stone or modern masonry along very steep streets, often on several levels. The village has 2 supermarkets and 4 school sites; other services are in the larger towns of the area.

Depopulation is plain to see. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 2,042 residents in 2023, down 17.2% on 2011. The average age is 49.7, against 48.3 for the province of Nuoro, and 29.4% are over 65. Foreign residents are almost absent, 0.4%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake risk is in the lowest class. Desulo is in seismic zone 4, like all the other 52 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of 0.050 g. The climate, though, is mountain weather, with cold winters and snow: insulation, the roof and heating matter.

On slopes this steep, landslides and surface runoff are assessed plot by plot. The report finds the parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps and compares it with the official hazard maps.

Key points

  • Barbagia, on the slopes of the Gennargentu.
  • Very steep village, cold winters and snow.
  • Population down 17.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province.

Overview

Desulo is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 2,042 residents, ranked 20 of 53 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Desulo is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 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 17.2%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 0.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Desulo declared an average taxable income of 15,925 euros, below the provincial average (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Desulo is in climate zone E, with 2,169 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 886 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Desulo has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 sports facility.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 1.3% of the land in Desulo, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Desulo is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is high. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Desulo: 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 Desulo 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 11 inhabited census areas in Desulo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 6.7%
  • good 93.3%

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 114010. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.