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Prizzi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Prizzi

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: Corso Umberto I 1, Prizzi.

Prizzi, the high town of the Sicani mountains

At almost a thousand metres, Prizzi is one of the highest towns in Sicily. It sits in the Sicani mountains, in the interior of the island between Palermo and Agrigento, with its historic centre perched on a hill and houses stepping down the slope. The town is known for the Abballu de li diavuli, the dance of the devils, an Easter festival in which masked devils and Death roam the streets before the meeting of the risen Christ and the Madonna.

Buyers must first consider distance: Palermo and the coast are far away and inland roads are long and winding. In the centre many houses are old and in need of renovation. Winter here is cold by Sicilian standards (climate zone E), so insulation and heating weigh on running costs. The data record 20 services in the town.

The population has been falling for years. In 2023 there were 4,130 residents, 18.3% fewer than in 2011, and the average age is 48.9 against 44.7 for the metropolitan city of Palermo. Over-65s make up 28.2%, against 22.8%. Foreign residents are very few at 0.6%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Prizzi is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like almost every municipality around Palermo (81 of 82). Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.091 g. For a masonry house that has been shut up for a long time, have the roof, floors and walls checked before making an offer.

The clays of inland Sicily shift easily in rain, and the slopes around the town deserve a careful look. The report checks the landslide maps for the address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps published for Prizzi, reaches the land parcel.

Key points

  • In the Sicani mountains, at almost a thousand metres.
  • The Abballu de li diavuli devils' dance at Easter.
  • 4,130 residents, down 18.3% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.091 g.

Overview

Prizzi is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,130 residents, ranked 36 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Prizzi is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.091 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Prizzi, 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 18.3%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (45). 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 0.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Prizzi declared an average taxable income of 16,374 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Prizzi is in climate zone E, with 2,304 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 966 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Prizzi has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

There are 0.2 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 2.8% of the land in Prizzi, compared with 5.7% 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 open contaminated sites in Prizzi; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Prizzi: 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 Prizzi 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 35 inhabited census areas in Prizzi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 6.7%
  • good 93.3%

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 082060. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.