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Gambatesa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gambatesa

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 San Nicola 1, Gambatesa.

Gambatesa, a frescoed castle above the Fortore valley

Inside Gambatesa's castle are rooms frescoed in the sixteenth century and open to visitors: it is the monument that puts this village in inland Molise on the map. The village stands on a rise above the Fortore valley, with Lake Occhito, the large reservoir on the border with Puglia, not far away. Campobasso, with its hospital, university and offices, is reached by car along hill roads.

This is farming country with hill roads. Buyers find houses in the old centre, often on several floors and built against one another, and rural buildings with land in the surrounding countryside. Winters are cold but not extreme (climate zone D); in houses closed for years, the roof, damp and systems make the difference to the final cost of works.

The population has been falling for a long time: 1,277 residents in 2023, according to Istat, the national statistics office, 14.1% fewer than the 1,487 of 2011. The average age is 50.7 against 47.6 in the province of Campobasso, and over-65s are 32.4%, against 26.5%. Foreign residents make up 5.8%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Gambatesa is in seismic zone 2, like 63 other municipalities in the province, while 11 are in zone 1, the highest. The expected ground acceleration in the village is 0.185 g. For a masonry building, ask for the year of construction and any strengthening work carried out, with the permits filed.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastre, so the report reaches the land parcel. On the clay slopes of the Fortore valley, landslide hazard should be checked plot by plot on the official maps.

Key points

  • Village with a frescoed castle above the Fortore valley.
  • Population down 14.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.185 g.
  • Over-65s at 32.4%, against 26.5% in the province.

Overview

Gambatesa is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 1,277 residents, ranked 31 of 84 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gambatesa is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.185 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Gambatesa, 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 14.1%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (48). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 5.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gambatesa declared an average taxable income of 16,361 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gambatesa is in climate zone D, with 1,979 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 468 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gambatesa has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 1 sports facility.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 3.4% of the land in Gambatesa, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Gambatesa; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gambatesa: 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 Gambatesa 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 17 inhabited census areas in Gambatesa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 99.9%
  • good 0.1%

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 070025. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.