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Massa d'Albe: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Massa d'Albe

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 Umberto I 1, Massa d'Albe.

Massa d'Albe, Alba Fucens and Monte Velino

The municipality of Massa d'Albe contains a Roman town: the excavations of Alba Fucens, with forum, basilica and amphitheatre, lie near the hamlet of Albe, next to the Romanesque church of San Pietro. The village is in the Marsica, on the slopes of Monte Velino overlooking the Fucino plain, and Avezzano, a little further down, is the centre for work, the hospital and schools.

At almost nine hundred metres, winters are cold (climate zone E) and snow can reach the houses. Buyers will mostly find detached homes and village houses, many rebuilt or altered during the twentieth century: the age and building method change from one property to the next and need checking case by case.

At the end of 2023 there were 1,337 residents, 11.4% fewer than in 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 50.0, against 47.5 in the province of L'Aquila, and over-65s make up 29.1%. Average incomes, on the other hand, are above the provincial average.

Almost the whole province is in seismic zone 1: 103 municipalities out of 108, Massa d'Albe included, and here the expected ground acceleration is 0.250 g. The Marsica was hit by the great earthquake of 1915, and the rule still applies: before buying, get a structural survey and the paperwork for any strengthening work.

On the slopes of Monte Velino, the report checks the gradient and the official landslide maps for the address, and finds the parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps.

Key points

  • Marsica village on Monte Velino, with the Alba Fucens excavations.
  • 1,337 residents, down 11.4% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.250 g.
  • Cold winters: check insulation and heating.

Overview

Massa d'Albe is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 1,337 residents, ranked 36 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Massa d'Albe is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.250 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Massa d'Albe, 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 11.4%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (48). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Massa d'Albe declared an average taxable income of 24,361 euros, above the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Massa d'Albe is in climate zone E, with 2,837 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 865 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Massa d'Albe has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 3.1% of the land in Massa d'Albe, compared with 3.2% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Massa d'Albe.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Massa d'Albe: 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 Massa d'Albe 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 8 inhabited census areas in Massa d'Albe. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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

ISTAT code 066054. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.