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Garaguso: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Garaguso

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 Scalo Ferroviario 1, Garaguso.

Garaguso, a village in the inland hills of Matera province

Garaguso is a small town in the inland hills of the province of Matera, at around 490 metres, among wheat fields, olive groves and pasture. Archaeologists know its name from the so-called Garaguso temple, a small marble model of a temple from the Greek period found within the municipality. For work and wider services people look to the towns in the valley and the provincial capitals, reachable only by car.

The population here is a little younger than the provincial average. The average age is 45.4 against 46.3 in the province, and over-65s make up 22.9% against 24.8%. Numbers are still falling, though: in 2023 there were 940 residents, 17.1% fewer than in 2011. Households have 2.34 people on average and foreign residents account for 1.6%.

Buyers find masonry houses in the centre, often terraced along sloping streets, and newer homes in the areas where the village has expanded. On the clay hills of Basilicata, look carefully for cracks in the walls and at the state of the foundations, and ask a surveyor or engineer you trust to assess them.

The municipality is in seismic zone 2, as are 17 of the 31 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.166 g. For a building put up before recent seismic regulations, the design and the final inspection certificate are the first documents to ask for.

Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published for Garaguso. The report starts from the address and gives landslide and flood hazard, the slope and elevation of the plot, and the local price range.

Key points

  • Inland hills of Matera province, at around 490 metres.
  • Average age 45.4, below the provincial 46.3.
  • 940 residents in 2023, down 17.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.166 g.

Overview

Garaguso is a municipality in the province of Matera, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 940 residents, ranked 25 of 31 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Garaguso is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2c. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 31) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.166 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Garaguso, 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 17.1%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 1.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Garaguso declared an average taxable income of 17,749 euros, below the provincial average (19,958 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Garaguso is in climate zone D, with 1,803 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 492 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Garaguso has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 2.7% of the land in Garaguso, compared with 2.7% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.4 hectares.

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 contaminated sites in Garaguso.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Garaguso: 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 Garaguso 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 18 inhabited census areas in Garaguso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 10.8%
  • good 89.2%

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 077009. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.