Marsico Nuovo: 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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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: Contrada Galaino 1, Marsico Nuovo.
Marsico Nuovo, in the upper Val d'Agri among Lucanian peaks
Marsico Nuovo lies in the highest part of the Val d'Agri, towards the source of the river, in a basin ringed by the mountains of the Lucanian Apennines. The old town climbs a hill with its cathedral and historic buildings, while newer housing has spread towards the valley floor. The town's name also appears in the diocese of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo. Further down, the Val d'Agri is known for its oil wells, which have brought jobs across the area.
For buyers, earthquakes are the main issue. The municipality is in seismic zone 1, the highest class set by the Civil Protection Department (the national emergency agency), like 39 other municipalities in the province of Potenza. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.258 g. For stone houses in the old town, have an engineer check the load-bearing walls, floors and roof, and ask whether the building has had seismic upgrading, with the paperwork to prove it.
In 2023 there were 3,775 residents, down 13.4% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age of 49.1 is above the provincial 47.3, and over-65s account for 30.1% against 25.7% in the province. Foreign residents make up 2.2%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial level.
Climate zone E means long, cold winters with frequent snow, so insulation, windows and heating costs belong in the budget.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the whole municipality. Conditions change a lot between the hill of the old town, the slopes and the Agri plain, so gradient, landslides and closeness to watercourses are read address by address.
Key points
- Town in the upper Val d'Agri, towards the source of the river.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.258 g.
- 3,775 residents in 2023, over-65s at 30.1%.
- Long, cold winters: insulation and heating weigh on running costs.
Overview
Marsico Nuovo is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 3,775 residents, ranked 25 of 100 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Marsico Nuovo 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 0.258 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Marsico Nuovo, 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 13.4%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Marsico Nuovo declared an average taxable income of 18,016 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Marsico Nuovo is in climate zone E, with 2,482 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 685 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Marsico Nuovo has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 3 healthcare facilities, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.
There are 0.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 3.2% of the land in Marsico Nuovo, 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 Marsico Nuovo.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Marsico Nuovo: 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 Marsico Nuovo 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 66 inhabited census areas in Marsico Nuovo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 4.5%
- fair 95.5%
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 076045. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.