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Paternò: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Paternò

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 Circumvallazione 1, Paternò.

Paternò, below Etna and above the Simeto valley

Paternò's Norman castle, a large tower of lava stone on top of the hill, can be seen from far away as you travel up the Simeto valley. The town grew up at the foot of that hill, on the south-western slopes of Mount Etna, and ranks number 4 by population in the province of Catania. Around it are citrus groves, mainly blood oranges, and farmland running down to the river.

Buyers in Paternò will find very different options. The historic centre around the hill has old stone houses and steep streets, often in need of renovation. Newer neighbourhoods have spread onto the plain and along the roads to Catania and Adrano. Commuters to Catania use the main road or the Circumetnea, the narrow-gauge railway that runs around the volcano. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

According to Istat, Italy's national statistics office, there were 44,954 residents in 2023, down 6.1% since 2011, or 2,916 fewer people. The population is still fairly young: an average age of 43.0 against 44.2 for the province, households of 2.52 people on average, and 2.1% foreign residents.

Earthquakes are the thing to look at most carefully. Paternò is in seismic zone 2 of the classification kept by the Civil Protection Department, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.181 g, a high value, and 4 municipalities in the province are in zone 1, the highest. As well as the major earthquakes of eastern Sicily, the area feels tremors linked to Etna's activity. For a masonry house in the centre or a 1970s concrete block, ask for the structural design, any seismic upgrading and the certificate of fitness for occupation.

On the hillsides and on land near the Simeto, the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the exact address.

Key points

  • On Etna's south-west slopes, linked to Catania by the Circumetnea railway.
  • 44,954 residents in 2023, down 6.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.181 g.
  • Average age 43.0, younger than the province.

Overview

Paternò is a municipality in the province of Catania, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 44,954 residents, among the most populous in the province (4 of 58).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Paternò is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (54 of 58) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.181 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Paternò, 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 6.1%. The estimated average age is 43 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Paternò declared an average taxable income of 16,890 euros, below the provincial average (20,793 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Paternò is in climate zone C, with 1,087 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 225 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Paternò has 41 schools and 14 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 26 grocery shops and supermarkets, 17 healthcare facilities, 41 sports facilities and 8 parks and green areas.

There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 7.5% of the land in Paternò, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Paternò; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Paternò: 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 Paternò 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 682 inhabited census areas in Paternò. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 82 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.0%
  • fair 2.8%
  • good 29.9%
  • very good 67.3%

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 087033. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.