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Riesi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Riesi

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 Cairoli 1, Riesi.

Riesi, sulphur, farmland and emigration inland from Caltanissetta

Riesi is an inland Sicilian town in the southern part of the province of Caltanissetta, on hills that fall towards the valley of the river Salso. Its recent history is tied to the area's sulphur mines, closed long ago, and to farming; then came emigration, to northern Italy and abroad, which left many houses empty.

The decline goes on. In 2023 Istat, the national statistics office, counted 10,409 residents, down 11.9% since 2011, which is 1,405 fewer people. Yet the population is younger than the provincial average: the average age is 44.2 against 45.2, and 22.3% are over 65. Foreign residents make up 4.1%. Declared incomes are much lower than the provincial average.

There are plenty of old houses on the market, often inherited and empty for years. Before buying one, check the roof, walls and services, and make sure the house matches what is recorded in the land registry: in inland towns many homes were extended in stages, with floors added over time.

The seismic hazard is moderate. Riesi is in seismic zone 3, like 17 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.069 g; 4 municipalities in the province are in zone 2. In buildings put up in stages, the weak points are the additions themselves, so ask how the new floors were tied into the original structure.

The clay hills of the interior shift easily, so landslides and slope should be checked for the address using the official maps the report consults. The climate is zone C, with hot, dry summers. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Inland Caltanissetta, hills towards the Salso valley.
  • Population down 11.9% since 2011.
  • Average age 44.2, younger than the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.069 g.

Overview

Riesi is a municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 10,409 residents, ranked 6 of 22 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Riesi is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 22) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.069 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 11.9%. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Riesi declared an average taxable income of 15,349 euros, below the provincial average (19,090 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Riesi is in climate zone C, with 1,161 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 330 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Riesi has 13 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.

There are 0.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

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 5.6% of the land in Riesi, compared with 4.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

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 Riesi.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Riesi: 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 Riesi 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 30 inhabited census areas in Riesi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 83 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 2.8%
  • good 4.6%
  • very good 92.6%

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 085015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.