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Pescocostanzo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pescocostanzo

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 Monte Rotella 1, Pescocostanzo.

Pescocostanzo, a stone town on the Abruzzo uplands

At almost 1,400 metres on the uplands of inland Abruzzo, Pescocostanzo has an old centre of stone palazzi, churches and carved doorways, with the basilica of Santa Maria del Colle at its heart. It is also a place of craft traditions, from bobbin lace to wrought iron, and in winter it is part of the Alto Sangro ski area.

The property market is shaped by second homes: flats and houses used for skiing and summer holidays, and small households among residents (1.78 people on average). Buying in the old centre means checking for any restrictions on façades and materials, and allowing for work that needs builders used to stone. This is climate zone F: long, cold winters, plenty of snow and heating on for much of the year. Declared incomes are above the average for the province of L'Aquila.

There were 1,086 residents in 2023, down 6.5% on 2011. The average age is 50.6, against 47.5 in the province, and 29.2% of residents are over 65. Overture Maps counts 19 cafés, restaurants and bars.

For earthquakes, Pescocostanzo is in seismic zone 1 (the classification of the Civil Protection department), like 102 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.259 g. In a historic palazzo or a stone house, checking the structure and any work already done matters as much as the finishes.

The report checks the official landslide and avalanche maps for the address and measures elevation and slope. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available.

Key points

  • Stone town at almost 1,400 metres, in the Alto Sangro ski area.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.259 g.
  • Population down 6.5% since 2011, many second homes.
  • Climate zone F: long winters, budget for heating.

Overview

Pescocostanzo is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 1,086 residents, ranked 44 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pescocostanzo is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.259 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Pescocostanzo, 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 6.5%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (48). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pescocostanzo declared an average taxable income of 26,975 euros, above the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pescocostanzo is in climate zone F, with 3,503 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,395 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pescocostanzo has 1 school and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

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 1.7% of the land in Pescocostanzo, compared with 3.2% 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 no contaminated sites in Pescocostanzo.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pescocostanzo: 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 Pescocostanzo 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 18 inhabited census areas in Pescocostanzo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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 066070. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.