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Montesarchio: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Montesarchio

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 Napoli 1, Montesarchio.

Montesarchio, the Caudine valley below Taburno

Montesarchio is the main town of the Valle Caudina, the basin crossed by the ancient Via Appia between Benevento and Caserta, closed to the north by the Taburno massif. The old town climbs the hill to the tower and castle, which house the archaeological museum of the Caudine Samnium and its well-known painted vase by the Greek potter Assteas. Down below, along the Appia, the newer districts, shops and businesses have grown up.

For buyers the split between upper and lower town matters. In the old quarter houses are stone-built and packed together, on steps and lanes that cars cannot reach. On the flat there are more recent blocks and detached houses, with parking and easy access to the main road. Many people work in Benevento, around Caserta or in the Naples area, and the valley is a natural crossing point between them.

It is one of the largest municipalities in the province of Benevento, with 12,997 residents in 2023, down 1.5% since 2011. The population is younger than the provincial average, with a mean age of 43.7 against 46.5 and 19.8% over 65. Foreign residents make up 6.2%. There are plenty of schools, supermarkets and clinics because they serve the whole valley.

The Sannio is one of the most earthquake-prone parts of Italy, with 48 municipalities in the province in zone 1, the highest. Montesarchio is in zone 2, but its expected ground acceleration of about 0.202 g is high. Ask when the building was designed, whether it was damaged in the 1980 Irpinia earthquake and how it was repaired.

On the sides of the hill and the lower slopes of Taburno, landslide hazard is what counts; on the valley floor it is flooding from mountain streams. The report checks this for the address, starting from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps published for the town.

Key points

  • Main town of the Caudine valley, on the Via Appia below Taburno.
  • One of the largest towns in the province, average age 43.7.
  • Seismic zone 2 with high acceleration, about 0.202 g.
  • Hilltop old town and newer flat districts: two separate markets.

Overview

Montesarchio is a municipality in the province of Benevento, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 12,997 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montesarchio is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 30 of 78 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.202 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Montesarchio, 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 1.5%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (46). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 6.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montesarchio declared an average taxable income of 19,898 euros, in line with the province (19,496 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Montesarchio is in climate zone D, with 1,616 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 300 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montesarchio has 20 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 12 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities and 10 sports facilities.

There are 0.8 healthcare facilities 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 19.4% of the land in Montesarchio, compared with 7.4% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.5 hectares.

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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Montesarchio, and 2 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montesarchio: 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 Montesarchio 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 56 inhabited census areas in Montesarchio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.4%
  • fair 40.9%
  • good 57.7%

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 062043. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.