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Martano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Martano

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 Soleto 1, Martano.

Martano, in the Greek-speaking Salento between Lecce and Otranto

In Martano you can still hear older people speaking Griko, the Greek-derived dialect of the Grecìa Salentina, a group of towns south of Lecce that includes Martano. The town sits on the plain of central Salento, at around ninety metres, halfway between Lecce and Otranto, among olive groves and dry-stone walls. In recent years many of the local olive trees have been hit by Xylella, a bacterial disease, and the countryside is changing.

The old centre is made up of courtyard houses with stone vaults, often in need of renovation, and like many Salento towns it has drawn buyers from other parts of Italy and from abroad. Outside the centre there are detached houses and villas. Lecce is about half an hour's drive, and the Adriatic coast is closer still, so some homes are bought as summer houses.

The town is shrinking and getting older. In 2023 there were 8,485 residents, 835 fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office, a drop of 9.0%. The estimated average age is 48.3 (47.2 in the province) and over-65s make up 28.2%, above the 26.1% of the province of Lecce. Foreign residents account for 2.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

All 96 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection classification, and expected acceleration in Martano is about 0.055 g. In vaulted houses the weak point is the roof: before buying, have the waterproofing of the flat roof terrace, any leaks and the plaster checked.

The land is limestone karst with no rivers on the surface. Rain soaks into the ground, but in the heaviest storms water gathers in low spots and in the streets. The report checks the official flood maps for the address and uses the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps to trace the plot.

Key points

  • Grecìa Salentina, where Griko is still spoken.
  • Population down 9.0% since 2011, over-65s at 28.2%.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Lecce.
  • Vaulted courtyard houses: check roofs and leaks.

Overview

Martano is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 8,485 residents, ranked 32 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Martano is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 96 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.055 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 9.0%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Martano declared an average taxable income of 17,359 euros, below the provincial average (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Martano is in climate zone C, with 1,253 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 91 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Martano has 9 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 1.1 schools 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 16.2% of the land in Martano, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 3.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Martano is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 Martano. 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 Martano: 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 Martano 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 Martano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 70 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 2.6%
  • good 97.4%

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 075040. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.