Piedimonte Etneo: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Catania, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Piedimonte Etneo
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 Vincenzo Bellini 1, Piedimonte Etneo.
Piedimonte Etneo, on the north-east flank of Etna
From Piedimonte Etneo you can see the volcano and the sea at once. The town sits on the north-eastern flank of Mount Etna, at around three hundred and fifty metres, among vineyards and orchards on lava soils, with the Ionian coast further down. The municipality also includes hamlets scattered across the slope, such as Vena and Presa. The climate is mild (climate zone C), with short winters.
For work and larger services people head down to the coast and towards Catania, and the Catania-Messina motorway is a short drive away. The Circumetnea railway, the narrow-gauge line that runs right round the volcano, also passes through. Many houses in the centre are built of lava stone, with villas and country houses around; for isolated ones, check access, utility connections and the state of any retaining walls.
At the end of 2023 there were 3,905 residents, down 4.3% on 2011. The average age is 45.8, a little above the province of Catania (44.2), and over-65s make up 22.8%. Foreign residents account for 3.0%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Living on Etna means living with the volcano and its earthquakes, which are often shallow and felt over a small area. Piedimonte Etneo is in seismic zone 2, like 54 municipalities in the province; another 4 are in zone 1. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.222 g. The year of construction, any strengthening work and the condition of the roof, which also has to cope with ash during eruptions, are the first things to ask about.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published: the report finds the plot from the address and reads landslide and flood hazard at that point.
Key points
- On the north-eastern flank of Etna, looking over the Ionian coast.
- 3,905 residents, down 4.3% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration of about 0.222 g.
- Shallow quakes and volcanic ash: structure and roof matter.
Overview
Piedimonte Etneo is a municipality in the province of Catania, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 3,905 residents, ranked 48 of 58 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Piedimonte Etneo is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (54 of 58) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.222 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Piedimonte Etneo, 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 4.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, higher than the province average (44). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Piedimonte Etneo declared an average taxable income of 17,856 euros, below the provincial average (20,793 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Piedimonte Etneo is in climate zone C, with 1,236 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 348 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Piedimonte Etneo has 3 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.
There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).
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 7.6% of the land in Piedimonte Etneo, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no contaminated sites in Piedimonte Etneo.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Piedimonte Etneo: 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 Piedimonte Etneo 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 36 inhabited census areas in Piedimonte Etneo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.3%
- fair 22.1%
- good 77.5%
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 087035. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.