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Ortona: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ortona

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 Rogatti 3, Ortona.

Ortona, the port and the old town on the trabocchi coast

Ortona is a seaside town on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo, with its old town on a high promontory above the harbour and the Aragonese castle overlooking the sea. The basilica of San Tommaso holds the relics of the apostle Thomas. In December 1943 the town saw one of the fiercest battles of the Italian campaign, between Canadian and German troops, and the Canadian war cemetery lies within the municipality. To the south begins the trabocchi coast, named after the old fishing platforms built on stilts over the water.

The municipality reaches well beyond the centre, with beaches north and south of the port, vineyard-covered hills inland and a number of scattered rural districts. The station on the Adriatic railway and the A14 motorway junction connect Ortona with Pescara and Chieti. Between the upper town, the areas near the port and country houses, prices and problems vary a great deal.

At the end of 2023 there were 22,099 residents, down 5.7% on 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Ortona is number 5 in the province of Chieti by population. The average age of 47.7 is in line with the province, and over-65s make up 27.0%. Foreign residents account for 5.3%. Declared incomes are close to the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is moderate compared with inland Abruzzo: Ortona is in seismic zone 3, like 26 other municipalities in the province, while 22 are in zone 1 and 55 in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration is about 0.103 g.

The promontory and the cliffs above the sea are prone to landslides, so for homes near the edge ask about stabilisation work and monitoring. The report checks the official landslide and flood maps at the address and, using the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), finds the land parcel.

Key points

  • Old town above the port, where the trabocchi coast begins.
  • Adriatic railway and A14 motorway to Pescara and Chieti.
  • 22,099 residents, down 5.7% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3; check landslide maps near the cliffs.

Overview

Ortona is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 22,099 residents, among the most populous in the province (5 of 104).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ortona is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 27 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.103 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 5.7%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ortona declared an average taxable income of 21,774 euros, in line with the province (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ortona is in climate zone C, with 1,298 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 68 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ortona has 23 schools and 7 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 16 grocery shops and supermarkets, 9 healthcare facilities, 22 sports facilities and 6 parks and green areas.

There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).

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 12.6% of the land in Ortona, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 4.7 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 6 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Ortona. 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 Ortona: 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 Ortona 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 404 inhabited census areas in Ortona. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 7.2%
  • fair 43.5%
  • good 49.3%

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 069058. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.