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Ortacesus: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ortacesus

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 John Kennedy 1, Ortacesus.

Ortacesus, wheat fields and low hills in the Trexenta

The Trexenta is an area of low hills and cereal fields in southern Sardinia, and Ortacesus is one of its farming villages, at about 160 metres. The landscape is open, with few scattered houses: people live in the village and go out to the fields to work. Cagliari and its surroundings are the point of reference for hospitals, the university and most jobs outside farming.

Much of the housing consists of low houses with courtyards, some still built with walls of unfired mud brick, typical of the Campidano plain and nearby areas. If you are buying a house like this, have it inspected by a surveyor who knows the material, because damp and rising moisture are the usual problems. The climate is zone C: hot, dry summers and short winters.

At the end of 2023 Ortacesus had 875 inhabitants, down 6.2% since 2011, when there were 933. The average age is 48.8, close to 48.1 for the province, while over-65s are 29.9% against 25.7%. Households have 2.38 members on average, and average declared income is below the provincial figure.

Earthquake hazard is the lowest on the national scale: all 70 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.050 g. Spending on works is better directed at roofs, waterproofing and insulation against the heat.

The report checks the official flood maps along the streams that cross the farmland. The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Ortacesus, so the report can find the land parcel from the address.

Key points

  • Farming village in the Trexenta, southern Sardinia.
  • 875 inhabitants, down 6.2% since 2011.
  • All 70 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Mud-brick houses: have them checked by an expert surveyor.

Overview

Ortacesus is a municipality in the province of Cagliari, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 875 residents, ranked 59 of 70 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ortacesus is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 70 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 6.2%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ortacesus declared an average taxable income of 17,743 euros, below the provincial average (19,085 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ortacesus is in climate zone C, with 1,218 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 161 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ortacesus has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 3 sports facilities.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.9 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 2.9% of the land in Ortacesus, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ortacesus is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ortacesus: 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 Ortacesus 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 7 inhabited census areas in Ortacesus. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • good 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 118035. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.