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Norcia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Norcia

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: Case Sparse Norcia 13, Norcia.

Norcia, the town of Saint Benedict below the Sibillini mountains

Enclosed by its walls at around 600 metres, at the head of the Valnerina, Norcia looks over the plain of Santa Scolastica, with the Sibillini mountains behind. It is the birthplace of Saint Benedict and gives its name to norcineria, the Italian craft of pork butchery and curing; black truffles are gathered here too, and in the hamlet of Castelluccio lentils are grown on the Piano Grande, famous for its summer flowering. Much of the municipality lies within the Monti Sibillini national park.

For a buyer the key issue is earthquakes. The 2016 tremors damaged the basilica of Saint Benedict and many buildings in the town and its hamlets, and rebuilding is still under way in several areas. Norcia is in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection classification, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.256 g, among the highest in Italy. Before buying, ask precise questions: whether the building was damaged, whether it was repaired or rebuilt with public grants, whether it is certified fit for use and whether any shared building work is still pending. A surveyor you trust should see the design and the structural sign-off.

There are 4,497 residents, 8.5% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 47.1, similar to the province of Perugia (47.4), and foreign residents make up 9.5%. Tourism counts for a lot: there are 10.23 places to eat per 1,000 residents, against 5.40 across the province.

Winters are cold (climate zone E), and snow is normal as you climb towards the mountain hamlets. On the slopes, the report also checks the official landslide maps for the individual address.

Key points

  • Saint Benedict's town, gateway to the Sibillini and Castelluccio.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration of about 0.256 g.
  • Rebuilding under way: check damage, grants and fitness for use.
  • 4,497 residents, down 8.5% since 2011.

Overview

Norcia is a municipality in the province of Perugia, in Umbria. At the end of 2023 it had 4,497 residents, ranked 27 of 59 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Norcia is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 14 of 59 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.256 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Norcia, 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 8.5%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Norcia declared an average taxable income of 22,449 euros, below the provincial average (23,962 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Norcia is in climate zone E, with 2,608 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 604 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Norcia has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 11 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 4 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 2.4 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).

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 2.3% of the land in Norcia, compared with 5.5% in the province and 5.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 3.3 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Norcia; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Norcia: 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 Norcia 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 73 inhabited census areas in Norcia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 054035. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.