Moio Alcantara: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Messina, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Moio Alcantara
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 Roma 1, Moio Alcantara.
Moio Alcantara, above the Alcantara river valley
The river Alcantara flows at the foot of Mount Etna and gives the village its name: Moio Alcantara, in the province of Messina, stands on the high ground sloping down to the river, at around 540 metres, with the volcano in full view. The area falls within the Alcantara River Park, and the valley is known for the basalt gorges the river has carved through old lava flows.
The village is small and quiet. For work, secondary schools and the hospital, people drive down to the Ionian coast or to the other towns in the valley. Buyers will find houses in the village centre, often on several floors, and scattered homes in the countryside; for those outside the village, check access, utility connections and whether the buildings are properly authorised. Near the river and on the slopes, the report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the exact address.
In 2023 there were 686 residents, 9.3% fewer than in 2011. The estimated average age is 48.1, against 46.7 for the province, and over-65s make up 27.8%. Foreign residents are 3.4%. Average declared incomes are noticeably lower than in the province of Messina.
With Etna so close, seismic risk deserves attention. In the province, 17 municipalities are in zone 1 and 91 in zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification; Moio Alcantara is in zone 2, and the expected ground acceleration in the village is about 0.198 g. With a masonry house, have a surveyor check the structure and how walls and floors are tied, and ask whether any strengthening work was carried out with permits on file.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the municipality's cadastral maps: the report starts from the address and reaches the land parcel and the building.
Key points
- Village in the Alcantara valley, facing Mount Etna.
- 686 residents, down 9.3% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.198 g.
- River and slopes: flood and landslide hazard read by address.
Overview
Moio Alcantara is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 686 residents, ranked 95 of 108 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Moio Alcantara is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (91 of 108) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.198 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Moio Alcantara, 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 9.3%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Moio Alcantara declared an average taxable income of 16,077 euros, below the provincial average (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Moio Alcantara is in climate zone D, with 1,546 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 538 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Moio Alcantara has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 parks and green areas.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 5.3% of the land in Moio Alcantara, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 contaminated sites in Moio Alcantara.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Moio Alcantara: 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 Moio Alcantara 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 5 inhabited census areas in Moio Alcantara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 46.6%
- good 53.4%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 083053. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.