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Picerno: 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 Picerno

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: Strada Statale 94 1, Picerno.

Picerno, a hill town on the Potenza to Salerno link road

Picerno is a hill town in Basilicata, about twenty kilometres west of Potenza, on the motorway link road that joins the regional capital to the main Salerno to Reggio Calabria motorway. The old centre sits high up, at around 700 metres; lower down are the newer districts and the roads to the valley. There is also a station on the Battipaglia to Potenza railway.

For many residents the day is split between Picerno and Potenza, a short drive away thanks to the link road. Winters are cold (climate zone E), and in an older house heating weighs on the budget, so look at windows, insulation and the boiler before making an offer. The data counts 52 services, including 5 health facilities, 0.89 per 1,000 residents against 0.55 in the province.

In 2023 there were 5,612 residents, down 7.7% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office, a trend shared by many towns in the Lucanian Apennines. Picerno still ranks 13 by population among the 100 municipalities in the province. The average age is 47.2, almost the same as the province, over-65s are 26.4% and foreign residents 2.1%.

Here earthquakes are the first thing to consider. Picerno is in seismic zone 1, the most hazardous, like 40 municipalities in the province of Potenza, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.246 g. Before buying, ask for the year of construction, the structural design, any strengthening work and reconstruction paperwork, and have a surveyor or engineer read them.

On the slopes, landslide hazard changes a lot from one street to another, and the report checks it for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the plot can be traced from the address.

Key points

  • Hill town west of Potenza, on the link road towards Salerno.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.246 g.
  • Population down 7.7% since 2011.
  • Cold winters: check insulation and heating.

Overview

Picerno is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 5,612 residents, ranked 13 of 100 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Picerno 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 1b. 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 0.246 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Picerno, 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 7.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Picerno declared an average taxable income of 18,902 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Picerno is in climate zone E, with 2,265 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 721 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Picerno has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.

There are 0.7 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (1.3).

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 4.0% of the land in Picerno, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% 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 open contaminated sites in Picerno; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Picerno: 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 Picerno 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 44 inhabited census areas in Picerno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 99.9%

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 076059. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.