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Paterno: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Paterno

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 Acquareggente 1, Paterno.

Paterno, in the upper Agri valley among the Lucanian hills

Paterno is a municipality in the upper Agri valley, in the province of Potenza, at around 630 metres and surrounded by the mountains of the Lucanian Apennines. The town has grown along the valley roads, with its built-up centre and houses scattered across the countryside; for services and offices people look to the other towns in the valley and to Potenza, within driving distance.

House hunters mainly find family homes, often with land, and low blocks of flats. The climate is that of the inland hills, climate zone D, with cool winters and some snow: heating and insulation need to be budgeted for. Gradients vary a lot from one area to another, and for homes on slopes and near watercourses the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the exact address.

The population is falling: according to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 2,993 residents in 2023, down 12.6% since 2011. The average age is 48.2, slightly above the provincial 47.3, with over-65s at 27.9% and foreign nationals at 2.2%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The main issue is earthquakes. The Agri valley is among the most seismic areas of southern Italy, and Paterno is in zone 1, the highest in the Civil Protection classification, with 39 other municipalities in the province; the expected ground acceleration is 0.257 g. Before buying, find out the year of construction, ask whether structural work was done after the 1980 earthquake, which also struck Basilicata, and have an engineer check the structure.

Key points

  • Upper Agri valley, in the province of Potenza.
  • 2,993 residents, down 12.6% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.257 g.
  • Homes with land, cool climate zone D winters.

Overview

Paterno is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 2,993 residents, ranked 32 of 100 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Paterno is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 1a. Only 40 of 100 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.257 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Paterno, 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 12.6%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Paterno declared an average taxable income of 18,065 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Paterno is in climate zone D, with 2,062 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 634 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Paterno has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 5.3% of the land in Paterno, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

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 no contaminated sites in Paterno.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Paterno: 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 Paterno 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 24 inhabited census areas in Paterno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 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 076100. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.