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Loreto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Loreto

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 Villa Musone 3, Loreto.

Loreto, the hilltop shrine above the Adriatic coast

The dome of the Basilica of the Holy House dominates the hill and can be seen all along the coast between Ancona and Porto Recanati. Loreto is one of the most visited Marian shrines in Italy, and much of the walled centre lives off pilgrims, religious guest houses and shops selling devotional items. The sea is a few minutes away towards Porto Recanati, and Recanati and Castelfidardo are the neighbouring hill towns.

For buyers Loreto has an advantage that is rare for a town of this size: a station on the Adriatic railway line, below the centre, and its own exit on the A14 motorway, Loreto-Porto Recanati. Ancona is an easy trip by train or car. The market ranges from flats in the historic quarter, often in old palazzi, to detached houses and blocks of flats in the districts that have grown along the road to the sea.

There are 12,978 residents (2023), up 3.6% since 2011. The average age is 46.5, slightly below the province, and 24.2% are over 65. Foreign residents make up 7.3%. Supermarkets, restaurants and healthcare services are above average per resident, partly because of the flow of visitors.

All 47 municipalities in the province of Ancona are in seismic zone 2, as classified by the Civil Protection Department. In Loreto expected ground acceleration is about 0.181 g. In the old town many buildings are masonry and listed, so strengthening work needs permits, and it is worth knowing beforehand what has already been done.

The hill has steep sides towards the Musone valley and the coast, where landslide hazard matters; on the low ground near the river, it is flooding. The report checks both for the address, starting from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Holy House shrine on the hill, Porto Recanati beaches close by.
  • Station on the Adriatic line and an A14 motorway exit.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 2, acceleration about 0.181 g.
  • Population up 3.6% since 2011, 24.2% over 65.

Overview

Loreto is a municipality in the province of Ancona, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 12,978 residents, ranked 9 of 47 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Loreto is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 47 municipalities in the province 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 Loreto, 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 grown by 3.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 7.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Loreto declared an average taxable income of 23,063 euros, below the provincial average (24,794 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Loreto is in climate zone D, with 1,897 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 127 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Loreto has 11 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 15 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities, 16 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

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 20.1% of the land in Loreto, compared with 9.1% in the province and 7.0% 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Loreto, and 3 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Loreto: 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 Loreto 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 76 inhabited census areas in Loreto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 3.3%
  • fair 48.6%
  • good 48.1%

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 042022. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.