Pietraperzia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Enna, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Pietraperzia
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 San Giuseppe 1, Pietraperzia.
Pietraperzia, a hill town above the Salso valley
Deep in inland Sicily, in the province of Enna, Pietraperzia occupies high ground at almost five hundred metres overlooking the valley of the river Salso, also known as the southern Imera. Enna and Caltanissetta are the two nearby cities for work and services, both a short drive away; the sea is far off. Around the town lie wheat fields, olive groves and pasture.
Most homes on offer are in the old centre: masonry houses, often on two or three floors, facing steep streets. Many were left empty as people emigrated over recent decades, and prices are low; the trade-off is renovation work, from the roof and wiring down. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average. Climate zone C means hot summers and mild winters, with some cold days because of the altitude.
The fall in population is steep. In 2023 Istat, the national statistics office, counted 6,315 residents, down 12.6% on 2011, or 912 fewer people. The average age of 46.5 is close to the province's (46.4), over-65s make up 26.1% and foreign residents just 1.1%.
On earthquake hazard Pietraperzia is an exception in its province. Italy's Civil Protection Department places it in zone 3, one of only 2 municipalities around Enna in that class, while the other 18 are in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.074 g. The hazard still counts in older houses, so have the masonry, floors and roof checked before buying.
The clay hills around the Salso are prone to landslides and each slope of the town needs looking at on its own: the report checks landslide and flood hazard for the precise address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, which lead from the address to the plot.
Key points
- On high ground at almost five hundred metres above the Salso valley.
- Population down 12.6% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 3, one of only 2 around Enna in this zone.
- Foreign residents at 1.1%, a very low share.
Overview
Pietraperzia is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,315 residents, ranked 10 of 20 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pietraperzia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 2 of 20 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.074 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 12.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pietraperzia declared an average taxable income of 15,229 euros, below the provincial average (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Pietraperzia is in climate zone C, with 1,383 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 476 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pietraperzia has 8 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.
There are 0.5 grocery shops and supermarkets 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 2.5% of the land in Pietraperzia, compared with 3.2% 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 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 Pietraperzia.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Pietraperzia: 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 Pietraperzia 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 37 inhabited census areas in Pietraperzia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 81 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 6.5%
- good 28.1%
- very good 65.4%
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 086015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.