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Roccacasale: 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 Roccacasale

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 Roma 1, Roccacasale.

Roccacasale, on the slopes of Mount Morrone above the Peligna valley

The houses of Roccacasale climb the side of Mount Morrone and look out over the Valle Peligna, the basin around Sulmona. Above the village stand the ruins of the old castle; lower down the land drops towards the fields of the valley floor.

Sulmona is the reference point for almost everything: hospital, secondary schools, offices and shops. Roccacasale is a village of slopes, with steep lanes, houses built against one another and outside staircases. Buying in the old centre usually means awkward access for builders and often a full renovation; those wanting more convenience look at the houses lower down.

There were 588 residents in 2023, 18.8% fewer than in 2011. The average age reaches 52.0, against 47.5 in the province of L'Aquila, and over-65s make up 34.4%, against 26.4%. 3.6% of residents are foreign nationals. On average, declared incomes fall short of the provincial figure.

Earthquakes are the main issue here. Roccacasale is in seismic zone 1, the most hazardous, like 102 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.252 g. Before buying, ask whether the building has had seismic strengthening or upgrading work, with design and sign-off documents, and have them reviewed by an independent engineer.

The land registry poses no obstacle, as the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the municipality's maps and the report finds the parcel from the address. On a mountainside, gradient and landslide hazard change from one house to the next, so the report reads them for the exact spot on the official maps.

Key points

  • Village on the side of Mount Morrone, overlooking the Peligna valley.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.252 g.
  • 588 residents in 2023, down 18.8% since 2011.
  • Sulmona is the nearby town for services and jobs.

Overview

Roccacasale is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 588 residents, ranked 72 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Roccacasale 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 0.252 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Roccacasale, 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 18.8%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (48). 34% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 3.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Roccacasale declared an average taxable income of 18,625 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Roccacasale is in climate zone E, with 2,119 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 450 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Roccacasale has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 1 green area.

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 2.5% of the land in Roccacasale, 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 Roccacasale.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Roccacasale: 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 Roccacasale 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 6 inhabited census areas in Roccacasale. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 52 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 37.5%
  • fair 62.5%

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 066079. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.