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Pietranico: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pietranico

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 Umberto Primo 1, Pietranico.

Pietranico, a hill village inland from Pescara

Almost six hundred metres up, with a compact centre and farmland all around, Pietranico is a small village in the inland hill belt of the province of Pescara. The Adriatic coast is out of sight but within easy driving distance, and for work, larger shops and secondary schools people head down to the towns of the Pescara river valley and to the city itself.

The population is older and shrinking. In 2023 there were 435 residents, 74 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 14.5%. The estimated average age is 52.8, against 46.6 for the province, and over-65s make up 33.3%, well above the provincial 24.8%. Foreign residents account for 3.9%. Declared incomes are clearly below the provincial average.

For a buyer this means a small market, mostly family houses in the village and farmhouses in the countryside. Anyone thinking of a second home or a move here should expect climate zone E winters, with the heating on for many months, and near-total reliance on the car. The report measures how far the nearest pharmacy, schools and shops are from the address, which matters a great deal in a place this size.

On earthquakes, Pietranico is in seismic zone 2 in the national classification kept by the Civil Protection Department, like 27 other municipalities in the province, while 18 are in zone 1. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.207 g. In an old masonry house, the quality of the walls, the floors and any strengthening work already done are what count: ask for the paperwork before completion.

The land registry maps are published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate). On sloping ground, landslide hazard has to be checked plot by plot, and the report does this on the official maps.

Key points

  • Hill village at about 600 metres, inland in the province of Pescara.
  • Over-65s at 33.3%, against 24.8% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.207 g.
  • Population down 14.5% since 2011.

Overview

Pietranico is a municipality in the province of Pescara, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 435 residents, ranked 40 of 46 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pietranico is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (28 of 46) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.207 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Pietranico, 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 14.5%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (47). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 3.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pietranico declared an average taxable income of 17,517 euros, below the provincial average (23,063 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pietranico is in climate zone E, with 2,161 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 590 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pietranico has 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.9 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 2.9% of the land in Pietranico, compared with 7.3% 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 Pietranico.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pietranico: 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 Pietranico 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 11 inhabited census areas in Pietranico. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 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 068032. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.