Piana degli Albanesi: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Palermo, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Piana degli Albanesi
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: Corso Giorgio Kastriota 1, Piana degli Albanesi.
Piana degli Albanesi, the Arbëreshë town above Palermo
In Piana degli Albanesi, road signs are in both Italian and Albanian. The town was founded at the end of the 15th century by refugees from Albania and is still the main centre of the Arbëreshë, the Albanian-speaking community of Sicily: the old language is still spoken and the church follows the Byzantine rite, with its own eparchy (diocese). It lies in the mountains south of Palermo, at around 700 metres, near the reservoir that bears its name and also supplies the city's water.
Palermo is reached by car on mountain roads, and many residents work or study there. The old town is dense, with stone terraced houses on sloping streets, often on two or three floors. Buyers who want more space look at newer houses on the edge of town or at country homes.
In 2023 there were 5,321 residents according to Istat, Italy's national statistics office, down 11.5% since 2011, or 689 fewer people. The average age is 48.2 (44.7 in the metropolitan area of Palermo), and over-65s make up 27.0%, against 22.8%. Foreign residents account for 4.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The municipality is in seismic zone 2 of the Protezione Civile (Civil Protection Department) classification, like 81 of the 82 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.182 g. In masonry terraced houses built wall to wall, ask what structural work has been done and have the roof and floors checked. At this altitude winters are colder than in Palermo, so insulation and heating weigh on running costs.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report reaches the land parcel from the address. On the slopes around the town, landslide hazard must be checked plot by plot, and the report reads it for the individual address.
Key points
- Arbëreshë town founded by Albanian refugees, Byzantine rite.
- In the mountains south of Palermo, at about 700 metres, by the lake.
- Population down 11.5%; over-65s at 27.0%.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.182 g.
Overview
Piana degli Albanesi is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 5,321 residents, ranked 32 of 82 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Piana degli Albanesi is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.182 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Piana degli Albanesi, 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 11.5%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (45). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Piana degli Albanesi declared an average taxable income of 18,782 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Piana degli Albanesi is in climate zone D, with 1,711 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 720 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Piana degli Albanesi has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 2 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 1.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).
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 3.7% of the land in Piana degli Albanesi, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% 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 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 Piana degli Albanesi.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Piana degli Albanesi: 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 Piana degli Albanesi 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 38 inhabited census areas in Piana degli Albanesi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 5.4%
- good 79.6%
- very good 15.1%
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 082057. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.