Macchia Valfortore: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Campobasso, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Macchia Valfortore
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 Napoli 1, Macchia Valfortore.
Macchia Valfortore, a hill village in the Fortore valley
The name gives the location away: Macchia Valfortore lies in the valley of the Fortore, the river that runs from the Molise Apennines towards Apulia and, along this stretch, forms the artificial lake of Occhito. The village is built on a hillside at around 480 metres, among fields and woods and well away from any busy roads. For offices, the hospital and secondary schools, people look to Campobasso, the provincial capital.
What buyers find here is mostly a village house, often stone-built over several floors, or a country house with a piece of land. It is worth seeing the property in winter too: the area is in climate zone D, so the cold is not that of the mountains, but the heating stays on for months. For a big shop and most services you will need a car.
In 2023 there were 470 residents, against 621 at the 2011 census, a fall of 24.3%. The estimated average age is 53.7, above the provincial 47.6, and over-65s make up 38.3% against 26.5% across the province. Foreign residents account for 0.9%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
On the national earthquake scale kept by Italy's Civil Protection Department, Macchia Valfortore is in zone 2, like 64 of the 84 municipalities in the province of Campobasso, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.204 g in the built-up area. With an older house, ask the seller about structural work: when it was done, by whom, and whether the paperwork exists.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for this municipality too, so the report goes from the street address to the land parcel. On the valley slopes landslide hazard changes from plot to plot and has to be read on the official maps, which the report does for every address.
Key points
- Hill village in the Fortore valley, near Lake Occhito.
- 470 residents in 2023, down 24.3% since 2011.
- Over-65s at 38.3%, against 26.5% in the province.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.204 g.
Overview
Macchia Valfortore is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 470 residents, ranked 67 of 84 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Macchia Valfortore is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.204 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Macchia Valfortore, 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 24.3%. The estimated average age is 54 years, higher than the province average (48). 38% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 0.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Macchia Valfortore declared an average taxable income of 15,353 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Macchia Valfortore is in climate zone D, with 1,992 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 477 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Macchia Valfortore has 1 school and 1 pharmacy.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 2.6% of the land in Macchia Valfortore, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% 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 no contaminated sites in Macchia Valfortore.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Macchia Valfortore: 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 Macchia Valfortore 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 5 inhabited census areas in Macchia Valfortore. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 100.0%
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 070035. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.