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Firmo: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Firmo

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: Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, Firmo.

Firmo, an Arbëreshë community between Pollino and the Sibari plain

Firmo is one of Calabria's Arbëreshë villages, communities of Albanian origin that settled here centuries ago and still keep their own language, church rite and traditions. It lies in the hills of northern Calabria, between the Pollino mountains and the Sibari plain, in a landscape of olive groves and fields.

Buyers will find an old centre of closely packed houses and sloping streets, with newer homes and country houses around it. Castrovillari is the nearest town for offices, the hospital and larger shops. The climate zone is D, with moderate winters. Average incomes are below the Cosenza provincial level. In the old centre, take your time checking roofs, floors and services before making an offer.

The population has fallen sharply: 1,817 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, 16.8% fewer than at the 2011 census. The average age is 49.3, against 46.1 for the province, and over-65s make up 29.3%, more than the provincial 24.4%.

In the province of Cosenza, 65 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 and 85 in zone 2, like Firmo. The expected acceleration here is 0.256 g, a high value for zone 2. For an older masonry house, you need a structural survey and the paperwork for any past work before committing.

Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available, and the report traces the address to the land parcel, with slope, elevation and official landslide and flood maps.

Key points

  • Arbëreshë village in the hills between Pollino and the Sibari plain.
  • Population down 16.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.256 g.
  • Over-65s at 29.3%, against 24.4% in the province.

Overview

Firmo is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,817 residents, ranked 81 of 150 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Firmo is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.256 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Firmo, 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 16.8%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (46). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Firmo declared an average taxable income of 15,664 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Firmo is in climate zone D, with 1,720 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 370 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Firmo has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 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 5.1% of the land in Firmo, compared with 4.4% 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 open contaminated sites in Firmo; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Firmo: 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 Firmo 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 10 inhabited census areas in Firmo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 8.2%
  • fair 91.8%

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 078054. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.