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Pietragalla: 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 Pietragalla

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 Generale Armando Diaz 1, Pietragalla.

Pietragalla, the village of rock-cut wine cellars near Potenza

Pietragalla is known for its palmenti: small structures dug into the ground, with stone vats where grapes were once trodden, grouped together on the edge of the village in what is now an urban park. The village stands on the high ground north-east of Potenza, with the town hall above 800 metres, and the provincial capital is a drive away for work, offices and hospital care.

For buyers, altitude and slope matter. The centre has stone houses and uphill streets, while the newer areas on the edges have detached houses and small blocks of flats. Cold winters, in climate zone E, make insulation, the boiler and windows important, and a house that has been shut up for years needs careful checks for damp and ageing systems. Average declared incomes are slightly above the provincial average.

In 2023 there were 3,818 residents, 10.5% fewer than in 2011, or 449 people, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age of 47.6 is close to the province, over-65s make up 26.2% and foreign residents 3.7%.

Almost the whole province of Potenza carries a high earthquake hazard: 40 municipalities in zone 1 and 59 in zone 2 of the Civil Protection Department's scale. Pietragalla is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.155 g in the built-up area. The year of construction, any strengthening work and the related permits are the first questions to ask the seller.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, so the report traces an address to its plot. On the slopes around the village, it also reads the official landslide maps for that point.

Key points

  • Village of rock-cut wine cellars, on the heights north-east of Potenza.
  • Down 10.5% since 2011: 3,818 residents in 2023.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.155 g.
  • Above 800 metres: insulation and heating matter a lot.

Overview

Pietragalla is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 3,818 residents, ranked 24 of 100 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pietragalla is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2c. Most municipalities in the province (59 of 100) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.155 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Pietragalla, 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 10.5%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 3.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pietragalla declared an average taxable income of 20,834 euros, in line with the province (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pietragalla is in climate zone E, with 2,435 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 839 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pietragalla has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 1 sports facility.

There are 1.8 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).

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 3.2% of the land in Pietragalla, 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 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 Pietragalla.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pietragalla: 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 Pietragalla 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 42 inhabited census areas in Pietragalla. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.5%
  • fair 50.4%
  • good 44.1%

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

ISTAT code 076060. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.