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Melissa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Melissa

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 San Francesco 1, Melissa.

Melissa and Torre Melissa, from hill to Ionian sea

The municipality has two centres. Melissa is the old village on the hill, inland in the northern part of Crotone province, while Torre Melissa is the hamlet on the Ionian Sea, grown up around the coastal watchtower that gives it its name. Between them lie vineyards and olive groves: Melissa lends its name to a wine with protected designation of origin, and farming is still an important part of the local economy.

For buyers the two places are different. On the hill there are village houses at modest prices, often needing work; on the coast, flats and villas more in demand in summer, including as holiday homes. The Ionian coast road runs close to the seafront and connects towards Crotone. In low-lying areas near the sea and the streams, check the flood maps; on the hill, the gradient. The report checks both for the address.

Istat, Italy's statistics office, counted 3,221 residents in 2023, down 8.7% since 2011. The average age is 45.5, a little above Crotone province (44.3), and 24.4% are over 65. Foreign residents make up 6.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average, and the climate is mild, in zone C.

All 27 municipalities in Crotone province are in seismic zone 2, and in Melissa the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.168 g, a medium to high hazard for this class. Whether on the hill or on the coast, ask when the building was put up and whether any structural work has been carried out.

Key points

  • Hill village plus a seaside hamlet, Torre Melissa.
  • 3,221 residents, down 8.7% since 2011.
  • All 27 municipalities in Crotone province in zone 2.
  • Expected acceleration 0.168 g, mild climate.

Overview

Melissa is a municipality in the province of Crotone, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 3,221 residents, ranked 10 of 27 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Melissa is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 27 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.168 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Melissa, 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 8.7%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Melissa declared an average taxable income of 15,243 euros, below the provincial average (17,765 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Melissa is in climate zone C, with 1,287 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 256 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Melissa has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 healthcare facility.

There are 0.6 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

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 3.4% of the land in Melissa, compared with 3.8% 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 Melissa.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Melissa: 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 Melissa 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 18 inhabited census areas in Melissa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.5%
  • fair 70.5%
  • good 23.9%

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 101014. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.