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Melendugno: 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 Melendugno

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: Villaggio Euro Garden 1, Melendugno.

Melendugno, the town and its seaside villages on the Adriatic

Melendugno covers a long stretch of the Adriatic coast of Salento, east of Lecce, in the heel of Italy. The town itself sits inland among olive groves and dry-stone walls, while the seaside villages of San Foca, Roca, Torre dell'Orso and Torre Sant'Andrea line the shore, with low cliffs, small coves and sandy beaches. At Roca Vecchia there are the remains of an ancient settlement and the Grotta della Poesia, a natural pool cut into the rock that draws plenty of visitors in summer. Inland there is also the village of Borgagne.

For a buyer, the two halves of the municipality are separate markets. By the sea, most property is holiday homes and flats, full in summer and nearly empty in winter; in the main town and in Borgagne people live all year round and everyday services are closer. Tourism shows up in the figures too: Overture Maps records 118 bars and restaurants, 11.80 per 1,000 residents against 5.86 across the province of Lecce. On the coast, check how facades exposed to salt air have held up and how far the house is from the cliff edge, which is retreating in places.

At the end of 2023 there were 9,999 residents, up 3.7% since 2011, which is not a given in a province where many towns are shrinking. The average age is 47.4, in line with the rest of Salento, over-65s make up 25.6% and foreign residents 4.1%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake risk is low. All 96 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class set by the Civil Protection Department, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.053 g. In seaside houses, damp, wiring and plumbing and small unauthorised alterations matter more, so ask for the full planning paperwork before signing a preliminary contract.

The land registry is available: using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps, the report goes from the address to the plot, including in areas of scattered villas near the sea.

Key points

  • Inland town plus seaside villages: San Foca, Roca, Torre dell'Orso.
  • Population up 3.7% since 2011.
  • 11.80 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents against 5.86 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4, the lowest, like the whole of Salento.

Overview

Melendugno is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 9,999 residents, ranked 24 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Melendugno 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 0.053 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 grown by 3.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Melendugno declared an average taxable income of 17,737 euros, below the provincial average (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Melendugno is in climate zone C, with 1,147 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 36 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Melendugno has 5 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 7 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.5 schools 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 9.6% of the land in Melendugno, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.3 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Melendugno 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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Melendugno. 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 Melendugno: 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 Melendugno 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 63 inhabited census areas in Melendugno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.0%
  • fair 24.1%
  • good 75.9%

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 075043. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.