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Isnello: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Isnello

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 Cristoforo Grisanti 1, Isnello.

Isnello, in the Madonie between the park and the observatory

Isnello is home to the GAL Hassin astronomical park, whose telescopes and activities are also open to the public. The village lies on the side of the Madonie mountains that faces the Tyrrhenian Sea, inside the Madonie regional park, and Cefalù and the coast are reached by car along mountain roads. Palermo is further away, and for a hospital and secondary schools people rely on the larger towns of the area.

The population has fallen sharply: 1,283 residents in 2023, according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 19.7% from 1,598 in 2011. The average age is 52.3, well above the 44.7 of the province of Palermo, and over-65s are 33.4% against 22.8%. Foreign residents make up 0.9%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Most houses are in the old centre, built against the slope, with steep streets and flights of steps. Many have been shut for a long time, so before buying one, visit it with a surveyor and look at the roof, floors and damp. The climate zone is D, but the mountains make winters colder than on the coast.

Isnello is in seismic zone 2, like 81 of the 82 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration in the village of 0.181 g. In stone buildings, ask whether strengthening work has been done and what documents prove it.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, so the report reaches the land parcel. On the Madonie slopes, gradient and landslide hazard change from one spot to the next, and the report reads them on the official maps for each address.

Key points

  • Madonie village home to the GAL Hassin astronomical park.
  • Population down 19.7% since 2011.
  • Average age 52.3, against 44.7 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.181 g.

Overview

Isnello is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,283 residents, ranked 71 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Isnello is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.181 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Isnello, 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 19.7%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (45). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 0.9% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Isnello declared an average taxable income of 15,631 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Isnello is in climate zone D, with 1,504 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 530 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Isnello has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility, 2 sports facilities and 1 green area.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 1.8% of the land in Isnello, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% 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 contaminated sites in Isnello.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Isnello: 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 Isnello 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 10 inhabited census areas in Isnello. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 8.1%
  • good 91.9%

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 082042. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.