Pennapiedimonte: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Pennapiedimonte
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 Cavata 1, Pennapiedimonte.
Pennapiedimonte, stone houses on the slopes of the Maiella
Pennapiedimonte clings to the north-eastern slope of the Maiella at around 670 metres, its limestone houses built in steps on the rock with the national park's mountains directly behind. Guardiagrele is the nearest town for shops and services; Chieti and the coast are reached by car heading down the valley.
The village has steep, narrow streets, many houses are on several floors and some can only be reached on foot. Buyers should look closely at the roof, walls, damp and access, and budget for the cost of carrying materials in for any work. In climate zone E winters are cold, with frequent snow higher up.
In 2023 there were 399 residents, down 22.5% from 515 in 2011. It is an older population: an estimated average age of 53.4 against 47.4 for the province of Chieti, and over-65s at 36.1%. Foreign residents account for 5.8%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Earthquake hazard is high: Pennapiedimonte is in zone 1, the most severe class in the national scheme run by the Civil Protection Department, together with 21 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.175 g. For a stone house, ask whether it has been strengthened and with what paperwork, and have a surveyor assess the building before signing.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the land parcel from the address. On the steep Maiella slopes, rockfall and landslides should be checked on the official maps for the individual building.
Key points
- Stone village on the north-eastern slope of the Maiella.
- Seismic zone 1, with 21 other municipalities in the province.
- Population down 22.5% since 2011, now 399.
- Houses reached on foot: building work costs more.
Overview
Pennapiedimonte is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 399 residents, ranked 85 of 104 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pennapiedimonte is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 22 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.175 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Pennapiedimonte, 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 22.5%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (47). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pennapiedimonte declared an average taxable income of 16,416 euros, below the provincial average (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Pennapiedimonte is in climate zone E, with 2,200 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 669 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pennapiedimonte has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility and 1 green area.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 1.1% of the land in Pennapiedimonte, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Pennapiedimonte. 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 Pennapiedimonte: 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 Pennapiedimonte 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 11 inhabited census areas in Pennapiedimonte. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 50 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 17.6%
- fair 82.4%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 069064. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.