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Rocca Pia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Rocca Pia

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 Conte di Torino 1, Rocca Pia.

Rocca Pia, above the Cinque Miglia plateau

Rocca Pia is a mountain village in inland Abruzzo, at around 1,200 metres, looking over the Cinque Miglia plateau, the wide upland plain crossed by the old main road between Sulmona and the upper Sangro valley. Sulmona is the reference for the hospital, secondary schools and trains; in winter the area also lives off the ski slopes of Roccaraso.

Here the population has grown: in 2023 there were 178 residents, 6.6% more than the 167 of 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Foreign residents make up 20.2%. The estimated average age is still high, 50.3 against 47.5 in the province of L'Aquila, with over-65s at 33.7%, and households average 1.65 people. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

For a buyer, earthquakes are the main item. Rocca Pia is in seismic zone 1, the highest class in the Civil Protection classification, like 103 of the 108 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.261 g. For a stone or masonry house, ask whether seismic upgrading has been carried out, to which design and with what certificates, and have a structural survey done before completion.

Winter is long and snowy (climate zone F): insulation, the boiler and access in snow weigh on costs and daily life. Many houses in the centre are old stone homes on several floors, best assessed by a surveyor before making an offer.

On the slopes and along the ditches, landslide and flood hazard needs checking for the address: the report reads the official maps and finds the land parcel on the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Village at about 1,200 metres overlooking the Cinque Miglia plateau.
  • Residents up 6.6% since 2011, foreign residents at 20.2%.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.261 g.
  • Structural survey advised before completion.

Overview

Rocca Pia is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 178 residents, among the smallest in the province (102 of 108).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Rocca Pia is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.261 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Rocca Pia, 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 grown by 6.6%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (48). 34% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 20.2% of the population. On average, a household has 1.6 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Rocca Pia declared an average taxable income of 16,549 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Rocca Pia is in climate zone F, with 3,402 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,181 metres above sea level.

Services

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

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 1.0% of the land in Rocca Pia, compared with 3.2% 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 Rocca Pia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Rocca Pia: 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 Rocca Pia 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 2 inhabited census areas in Rocca Pia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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 066083. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.