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Montagnareale: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Montagnareale

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: Contrada Bonavita 1, Montagnareale.

Montagnareale, in the hills above Patti

From Montagnareale you can see the Tyrrhenian Sea. The village sits in the hills rising behind Patti, on the northern coast of the province of Messina, at just over 300 metres, with a compact centre and several rural districts scattered among olive groves and fields. The coast and its services are close, but the road down is a hill road.

Buying here means more space and more quiet than in the coastal towns, in exchange for driving to work, secondary school and hospital. It is in climate zone C, so winters are mild. Older houses in the centre and rural properties should be checked carefully for damp, roofs and services.

In 2023 there were 1,373 residents, down 15.8% on 2011. The average age is 47.8, slightly above the provincial 46.7, and 26.3% are over 65. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

In the province of Messina, 17 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 and 91 in zone 2. Montagnareale is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.197 g. The Messina area has a long history of earthquakes, so for a house built before current standards ask for the design date and any structural work done.

The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published, and the report starts from the address and adds ground slope and the official landslide and flood maps for that point.

Key points

  • Hills above Patti, with views of the Tyrrhenian.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.197 g.
  • Population down 15.8% since 2011.
  • Mild winters, climate zone C.

Overview

Montagnareale is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,373 residents, ranked 67 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montagnareale 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 0.197 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Montagnareale, 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 15.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montagnareale declared an average taxable income of 17,886 euros, below the provincial average (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Montagnareale is in climate zone C, with 1,187 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 328 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montagnareale has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility.

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 5.0% of the land in Montagnareale, 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

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Montagnareale.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montagnareale: 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 Montagnareale 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 15 inhabited census areas in Montagnareale. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 54.6%
  • good 45.4%

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 083056. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.