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Gamberale: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gamberale

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: Localita' Casale Mose' 1, Gamberale.

Gamberale, high in the upper Sangro

With its town hall above thirteen hundred metres, Gamberale is a high mountain village in the province of Chieti, in the upper Sangro area, among beech woods and pastures. Snow in winter is normal, and climate zone F confirms it: the cold season is long. The ski resorts of the upper Sangro are within driving distance, while for work, secondary schools and hospital care people go down to the larger towns in the valley or on the coast.

Buyers here often want a second home for summer or for the snow, or a family house. At this altitude, the heating bill matters more than the purchase price: external insulation, windows, boiler or stove, and how the roof copes with the weight of snow. Also check winter access and who clears the roads.

Earthquakes are the most serious issue. Gamberale is in seismic zone 1, the highest class, like 22 of the 104 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.230 g. For a masonry house, ask for the paperwork on structural work and view it with a surveyor or engineer.

There were 273 residents in 2023, 55 fewer than the 328 of 2011, a fall of 16.8%. The estimated average age is 51.4, against 47.4 in the province, and over-65s make up 32.6%. Foreign residents account for 1.1%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Revenue Agency cadastral maps are published, and the report links the address to the land parcel.

Key points

  • High mountain village above thirteen hundred metres, upper Sangro.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.230 g.
  • Heating and roof matter more than the purchase price.
  • 273 residents, down 16.8% since 2011.

Overview

Gamberale is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 273 residents, among the smallest in the province (93 of 104).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gamberale is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 22 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.230 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Gamberale, 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 51 years, higher than the province average (47). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 1.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gamberale declared an average taxable income of 16,384 euros, below the provincial average (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gamberale is in climate zone F, with 3,425 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,343 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gamberale has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 3.1% of the land in Gamberale, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 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 contaminated sites in Gamberale.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gamberale: 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 Gamberale 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 15 inhabited census areas in Gamberale. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 52 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 23.1%
  • fair 76.9%

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 069039. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.