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Riccia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Riccia

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 Feudo 1, Riccia.

Riccia, a Molise hill town on the Campania border

Riccia lies in inland Molise at around 700 metres, in the southern corner of the province of Campobasso that borders Campania and the Fortore area. Campobasso is about half an hour away by road through hills, woods and wheat fields. The town is known in the region for its grape festival in September, a long-standing tradition with decorated floats.

The old centre climbs uphill, with stone houses side by side, many empty or used only in summer by people who emigrated. The newer parts have small blocks of flats and houses. Prices are among the lowest in central and southern Italy, but if you buy an old house, expect substantial work and cold winters (climate zone E).

Riccia is losing residents. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 4,792 residents in 2023, 611 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 11.3%. It is still one of the larger municipalities in the province, ranked 8 out of 84. The average age is 47.8, 26.9% are over 65 and foreign residents make up just 2.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Molise is an earthquake region. Riccia is in seismic zone 2 under the Civil Protection Department classification, like 63 other municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.191 g. For stone houses in the centre, have walls, floors and roof checked, and ask for records of work done after the earthquakes that have hit the region.

The clay hills of inland Molise are often unstable, and landslides are the most widespread natural hazard. The report checks slope and mapped landslide areas at the address and identifies the plot using the Revenue Agency cadastre.

Key points

  • Inland Molise at around 700 metres, near the Campania border.
  • 4,792 residents, down 11.3% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.191 g.
  • Clay hills: check landslides at the address.

Overview

Riccia is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 4,792 residents, among the most populous in the province (8 of 84).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Riccia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.191 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Riccia, 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 11.3%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Riccia declared an average taxable income of 17,617 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Riccia is in climate zone E, with 2,288 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 710 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Riccia has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 sports facilities and 1 green area.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 4.7% of the land in Riccia, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% 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 Riccia; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Riccia: 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 Riccia 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 57 inhabited census areas in Riccia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.6%
  • fair 30.1%
  • good 69.3%

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 070057. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.