Latronico: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Potenza, Basilicata. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Latronico
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: Strada Provinciale 46 1, Latronico.
Latronico, spa waters and Monte Alpi above the Sinni valley
In southern Basilicata, at around 900 metres, Latronico spreads over the slopes of Monte Alpi and looks down on the Sinni valley, in the Pollino area. The town is best known for its thermal springs, which have long drawn visitors from elsewhere; otherwise it is a mountain centre living on services, small shops and farming.
Anyone considering a purchase will find mainly stone houses in the old centre and newer homes along the access roads. As in many inland villages of Basilicata, some houses stand empty or open only in summer. Before buying, budget for restoration: roof, walls, wiring and plumbing, and heating, since climate zone E means long, cold winters.
The population is falling sharply. In 2023 there were 4,016 residents, 15.4% fewer than the 4,748 counted in 2011 by Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 50.8, against 47.3 in the province of Potenza, and over-65s make up 32.3% against 25.7%. Foreign residents account for 3.4%. Average declared incomes remain below the provincial figure.
Earthquakes are the most sensitive issue. Latronico is in seismic zone 1, the highest in the Civil Protection classification, like 40 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.257 g. For an old masonry house you need the history of past work, any seismic upgrading carried out and an engineer's opinion before signing the deed.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report traces the address back to its plot. In a town built on slopes, gradient and landslides also matter: the report measures height and slope at the house and checks the official hazard maps.
Key points
- Spa town on the slopes of Monte Alpi, above the Sinni valley.
- Population down 15.4% since 2011, over-65s at 32.3%.
- Seismic zone 1, expected ground acceleration about 0.257 g.
- Steep slopes: check gradient and landslides for the plot.
Overview
Latronico is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 4,016 residents, ranked 21 of 100 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Latronico is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 1a. Only 40 of 100 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.257 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Latronico, 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 15.4%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (47). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Latronico declared an average taxable income of 19,088 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Latronico is in climate zone E, with 2,535 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 888 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Latronico has 8 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.
There are 2.0 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).
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 Latronico, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% 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 Latronico.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Latronico: 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 Latronico 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 27 inhabited census areas in Latronico. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.3%
- fair 99.7%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 076040. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.