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Irsina: 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 Irsina

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 Canio Musacchio 1, Irsina.

Irsina, the old Montepeloso above the Bradano valley

Until the 19th century it was called Montepeloso. Irsina stands on an isolated hill above the Bradano valley in eastern Basilicata, and its old town, with the cathedral and walls, overlooks a vast territory of wheat fields, pasture and farmsteads. It is one of the most agricultural areas in the province of Matera.

The population has fallen sharply. There are 4,364 residents, 14.4% fewer than the 5,100 counted in 2011 by Istat, the Italian statistics office, and the average age is 48.2 against 46.3 for the province; over-65s make up 28.4%. Foreign residents account for 9.7%, many of them working in agriculture. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

For buyers this means plenty of houses available in the old town at very low prices, often empty for years, and country farmsteads with a lot of land. Before signing, have the roof, floors, damp, utility connections and building paperwork checked, and get a realistic estimate for the work. Matera is reached by car; in town the data lists 29 services.

Irsina is in seismic zone 2, like 16 other municipalities in the province of Matera, while 14 are in zone 3. The expected ground acceleration is about 0.125 g. For masonry houses in the old town, structural strengthening should be factored in from the negotiation stage.

The hill and the valley slopes are largely clay and sand, and landslides are widespread in Basilicata: the report reads the official maps and measures the slope for the exact address. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published.

Key points

  • The old Montepeloso, on a hill above the Bradano valley.
  • 4,364 residents, down 14.4% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.125 g.
  • Cheap old-town houses: budget for the building work.

Overview

Irsina is a municipality in the province of Matera, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 4,364 residents, ranked 13 of 31 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Irsina is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2d. 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 0.125 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Irsina, 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 14.4%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 9.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Irsina declared an average taxable income of 17,022 euros, below the provincial average (19,958 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Irsina is in climate zone D, with 1,885 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 548 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Irsina has 6 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets.

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 1.7% of the land in Irsina, compared with 2.7% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Irsina; 6 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Irsina: 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 Irsina 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 33 inhabited census areas in Irsina. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 2.7%
  • good 97.2%

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 077013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.