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Montescaglioso: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Montescaglioso

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 Metaponto 1, Montescaglioso.

Montescaglioso, its abbey and hilltop above the Bradano

Montescaglioso's outline is recognisable from far off: a town on a hilltop south of Matera, at around 350 metres, above the Bradano valley, with the great Benedictine abbey of Sant'Angelo overlooking the old centre. From the town the view runs down to the plain that leads to Metaponto and the Ionian Sea.

The old centre is made up of stone houses built one against the next, narrow streets and flights of steps; newer neighbourhoods of small blocks of flats and detached houses have grown around it. Matera is the reference city for work, secondary schools and services, less than half an hour away by car. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average, and house prices generally remain modest.

For buyers here, position on the hill matters more than anything else. Like many towns in Basilicata, Montescaglioso stands largely on clay, and its slopes are prone to landslides: in 2013 a large landslide affected one side of the town, damaging roads and buildings. The report checks the official landslide maps for the exact address, starting from the land parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps.

At the end of 2023 there were 9,252 residents, down 8.4% on 2011, or 850 fewer people. The average age is 45.4, slightly below the province (46.3); people over 65 make up 24.0% and foreign residents 7.4%.

The province of Matera has 17 municipalities in seismic zone 2 and 14 in zone 3 under the Civil Protection Department's classification. Montescaglioso is in zone 2, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.154 g. For stone houses in the old centre, often altered several times over the years, ask what has been done to the walls, vaults and floors.

Key points

  • On the hill above the Bradano, with the abbey of Sant'Angelo.
  • Clay slopes: check landslide hazard for each address.
  • 9,252 residents, down 8.4% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.154 g.

Overview

Montescaglioso is a municipality in the province of Matera, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 9,252 residents, ranked 5 of 31 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montescaglioso is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2c. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 31) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.154 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Montescaglioso, 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 8.4%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 7.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montescaglioso declared an average taxable income of 16,968 euros, below the provincial average (19,958 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Montescaglioso is in climate zone D, with 1,597 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 352 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montescaglioso has 7 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 2 sports facilities.

There are 0.1 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 2.1% of the land in Montescaglioso, compared with 2.7% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Montescaglioso; 4 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montescaglioso: 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 Montescaglioso 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 57 inhabited census areas in Montescaglioso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 78 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 41.0%
  • good 21.8%
  • very good 37.2%

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 077017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.