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Otranto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Otranto

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 Antonio Primaldo 1, Otranto.

Otranto, Italy's easternmost town

No Italian town lies further east than Otranto: just south of it is Punta Palascìa, the easternmost point of the mainland. The old town, enclosed by walls and an Aragonese castle, has a cathedral with a vast medieval mosaic floor. Below the walls is the harbour, and on clear days the mountains of Albania can be seen across the Strait of Otranto.

The municipality changes a lot from north to south. To the north are the Alimini lakes, pine woods and sandy beaches; to the south the coast turns high and rocky as far as Porto Badisco. Tourism counts for a great deal: 164 bars and restaurants, 29.22 per 1,000 residents against 5.86 provincially. Many homes are holiday homes or summer lets, and in winter the town empties. The Ferrovie del Sud Est railway line runs in from Maglie.

The resident population is stable: 5,612 in 2023, down just 0.2% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 48.3 (47.2 provincially), over-65s are 27.1% and foreign residents 4.5%. Declared incomes are above the average for the province of Lecce.

The Salento has little seismic activity: all 96 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, and the expected ground acceleration here is about 0.063 g. For a house near the sea, salt and damp weigh more: tufa and local stone walls, render, balcony steelwork and services should be checked, especially in properties only opened in summer.

On the southern cliffs and the low northern coast, the risk of rockfalls, erosion and flooding varies from one stretch to the next, and the report checks it for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the plot can be found.

Key points

  • Italy's easternmost town, with cathedral and Aragonese castle.
  • 164 bars and restaurants: many holiday homes and summer lets.
  • 5,612 residents in 2023, incomes above the provincial average.
  • Seismic zone 4; check for salt damage and damp.

Overview

Otranto is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 5,612 residents, ranked 45 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Otranto is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 96 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.063 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Otranto declared an average taxable income of 20,325 euros, above the provincial average (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Otranto is in climate zone C, with 1,099 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 15 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Otranto has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 1.1 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 6.9% of the land in Otranto, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Otranto is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Otranto. 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 Otranto: 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 Otranto 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 53 inhabited census areas in Otranto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 70 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.7%
  • fair 29.3%
  • good 69.0%

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 075057. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.