Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Francofonte: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Francofonte

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 Emanuele Filiberto 1, Francofonte.

Francofonte, blood oranges between the Hyblaean hills and Catania

The Tarocco di Francofonte is one of the best-known varieties of blood orange, and the town's name travels with its fruit. Francofonte lies in the north-western corner of the province of Syracuse, on the first rises of the Hyblaean hills, looking out towards the plain of Catania and bordering that province. Citrus groves cover much of the countryside, and the local economy revolves around growing and trading the fruit.

The old centre is built on a slope, with two- and three-storey stone houses and climbing streets; newer districts have spread over the lower ground. In the countryside there are farmhouses and storehouses linked to the orange groves. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average, and house prices remain low. For work and larger services, people look to Lentini, Catania and Syracuse.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 11,661 residents in 2023, 1,262 fewer than in 2011, a drop of 9.8%. The estimated average age is 44.8, over-65s make up 24.0%, slightly above the province, and foreign residents 3.5%.

Here, earthquakes are the first issue to deal with. Francofonte is in seismic zone 1, the highest class on the Civil Protection Department's scale, like 16 other municipalities in the province of Syracuse, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.270 g. South-eastern Sicily has a history of major earthquakes, and the 1693 quake destroyed most of the towns in this area. For any house, especially masonry or concrete built before recent standards, have a surveyor check the structure and ask what work has been done.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report finds the plot from the address. On the slope of the town it is the gradient that matters, and in the countryside towards the plain it is ditches and streams. The report checks landslide and flood hazard for the individual address.

Key points

  • Home of the Tarocco blood orange, on the border with Catania province.
  • Population down 9.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.270 g.
  • Structural checks essential before any purchase.

Overview

Francofonte is a municipality in the province of Siracusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 11,661 residents, ranked 11 of 21 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Francofonte is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 21) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.270 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Francofonte, 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 9.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Francofonte declared an average taxable income of 14,951 euros, below the provincial average (20,509 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Francofonte is in climate zone C, with 1,100 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 281 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Francofonte has 7 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 8 healthcare facilities, 4 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.6 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.9).

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 6.0% of the land in Francofonte, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 13.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

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 open contaminated sites in Francofonte; 5 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Francofonte: 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 Francofonte 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 32 inhabited census areas in Francofonte. 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 089010. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.