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Ottana: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ottana

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 Liberta' 1, Ottana.

Ottana, the middle Tirso valley and its carnival masks

Ottana lies in the heart of Sardinia, in the middle Tirso valley, on a plain ringed by hills and uplands in the province of Nuoro. It is best known for its carnival, with the boes and merdules masks, one of the oldest traditions on the island. Nuoro is the provincial capital for hospital care, offices and secondary schools, and the main road across the centre of the island links the area with Cagliari and Sassari.

There were 2,173 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 8.9% on 2011. The average age is 47.6, slightly below 48.3 for the province, and 26.5% are over 65. Foreign nationals are very few, at 1.3%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

The village is flat and most homes are detached houses on one or two floors, some in stone in the old core, home to the Romanesque church of San Nicola, others more recent. Overture Maps data show 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The climate is zone C, with hot summers and short winters.

Sardinia is Italy's calmest region for earthquakes: Ottana is in seismic zone 4, like all 53 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.050 g. Proximity to the Tirso and its tributaries matters more: the report checks flood hazard for the address and finds the plot on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Middle Tirso valley, in central Sardinia.
  • Carnival with the boes and merdules masks.
  • 2,173 residents, down 8.9% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Nuoro.

Overview

Ottana is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 2,173 residents, ranked 18 of 53 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ottana is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 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 8.9%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ottana declared an average taxable income of 19,653 euros, in line with the province (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ottana is in climate zone C, with 1,208 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 185 metres above sea level.

Services

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

There are 1.4 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 8.1% of the land in Ottana, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ottana is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ottana: 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 Ottana 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 17 inhabited census areas in Ottana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 9.5%
  • good 69.2%
  • very good 21.4%

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 114041. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.