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Monasterace: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Monasterace

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: Corso della Repubblica 1, Monasterace.

Monasterace, the hill village and the Marina by ancient Kaulon

Monasterace has two clearly separate parts. On the hill is the old village, with houses packed around the church and alleys; on the Ionian coast, along the main road, is the Marina, which has grown in recent decades and holds most of the residents, the shops and the newer homes. By the sea, at Punta Stilo, are the remains of the ancient Greek colony of Kaulon, with its archaeological park.

For a buyer, the first choice is between village and Marina. Up the hill the houses are old, often empty and cheap, on sloping streets; at the Marina there are small blocks of flats, detached houses and summer homes near the beach. The climate is warm and mild (climate zone C). For hospital care, public offices and secondary schools people look to the larger towns on the coast, reached along the Ionian coast road.

There were 3,272 residents in 2023, down 2.9% on 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age of 45.8 is in line with the province of Reggio Calabria (45.2), and over-65s are 24.3%. Foreign residents make up 9.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

All 97 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 1, the most hazardous in the Civil Protection classification. In Monasterace the expected acceleration, about 0.134 g, is low for a zone 1 municipality, but it still matters how the house was built and whether the structure has been assessed.

Between the seasonal torrents (fiumare) and the low coast, flood hazard changes from one street to the next: the report checks the official maps for the address and identifies the cadastral parcel.

Key points

  • Hill village and Marina on the Ionian coast.
  • Archaeological park of ancient Kaulon at Punta Stilo.
  • 3,272 residents, down 2.9% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.134 g.

Overview

Monasterace is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 3,272 residents, ranked 35 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Monasterace is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.134 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Monasterace, 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 2.9%. 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 9.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Monasterace declared an average taxable income of 16,487 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Monasterace is in climate zone C, with 943 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 138 metres above sea level.

Services

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

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

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 11.3% of the land in Monasterace, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% 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 open contaminated sites in Monasterace; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Monasterace: 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 Monasterace 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 26 inhabited census areas in Monasterace. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 9.6%
  • fair 90.4%

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

ISTAT code 080052. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.