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Melilli: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Melilli

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 Vittorio Emanuele 1, Melilli.

Melilli, a Hyblaean hill town above the industrial coast

Melilli stands on a rise in the Hyblaean mountains north of Syracuse, at around three hundred metres, but its territory runs all the way down to the sea. On the coast lies part of the large petrochemical complex between Augusta and Priolo, one of the biggest industrial areas in southern Italy. Besides the town itself, the municipality includes the villages of Villasmundo and Città Giardino.

Industry matters to the local economy, and declared incomes are above the average for the province of Syracuse. It also matters when choosing a home: buyers should find out how far the property is from the plants and what the air quality is like, as well as what services are nearby. The hill town has stone houses and steep streets; the outlying villages have newer homes, often detached houses with gardens.

Earthquakes are the main issue here. Melilli is in seismic zone 1, the highest, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.260 g. In the province, 17 of the 21 municipalities are in zone 1. The 1693 earthquake destroyed much of south-eastern Sicily, and the one in December 1990 struck precisely the area between Augusta, Melilli and Carlentini. Before buying, ask for the year of construction, the structural design and any seismic strengthening; an independent engineer's survey is money well spent.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 13,183 residents in 2023, up 0.8% on 2011. The estimated average age is 44.1, lower than 45.4 for the province, and over-65s make up 21.4%. Foreign residents are few, 1.6%.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report finds the plot from the address. On the Hyblaean slopes and in the gorges cut into the plateau it also checks landslide and rockfall hazard.

Key points

  • In the Hyblaean hills north of Syracuse, above the industrial coast.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.260 g.
  • Population up 0.8% since 2011; foreign residents 1.6%.
  • Always ask for build year and seismic checks.

Overview

Melilli is a municipality in the province of Siracusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 13,183 residents, ranked 10 of 21 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Melilli is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 21) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.260 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Melilli, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Melilli declared an average taxable income of 21,637 euros, above the provincial average (20,509 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Melilli is in climate zone C, with 1,133 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 310 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Melilli has 12 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 17 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 10 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 1.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

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 10.4% of the land in Melilli, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 33.3 hectares.

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 open contaminated sites in Melilli; 7 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Melilli: 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 Melilli 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 57 inhabited census areas in Melilli. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.4%
  • fair 99.6%

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 089012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.