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Roccalumera: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Roccalumera

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 Umberto Primo 1, Roccalumera.

Roccalumera, on the Ionian riviera between Messina and Taormina

Roccalumera is a town on the Ionian riviera of Messina, squeezed between the sea and the lower slopes of the Peloritani mountains, on the coast that runs from Messina to Taormina. The town stretches lengthwise, parallel to the beach, between the SS114 road, the Messina-Catania railway and, further uphill, the motorway. Messina is about thirty kilometres away and Taormina is closer.

Many homes are in two- or three-storey buildings put up from the post-war years onwards, sometimes extended over time, with sea-view flats in the first blocks back from the beach. In summer the town fills with holidaymakers and second-home owners. For year-round residents, closeness to the railway and motorway and the distance to services count, and the report measures them from the address.

In 2023 there were 4,062 residents, according to Istat (the national statistics office), just 1.0% fewer than in 2011. Households are very small, 1.88 people on average, and the average age is 48.2 against 46.7 for the province of Messina; over-65s make up 27.0%. Foreign residents account for 4.8%.

The Strait of Messina and the Ionian coast of Messina are among the most earthquake-prone areas in Italy. Roccalumera is in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection classification, with 16 other municipalities in the province, while the remaining 91 are in zone 2; expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.245 g. Before buying, ask for the design date, structural certification and proof that any added storeys are authorised.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report finds the plot from the address. Short, steep streams run down from the Peloritani through the town to the sea: in heavy rain, flood and debris-flow hazard varies a great deal from street to street. Climate zone B, mild winters.

Key points

  • Ionian riviera between Messina and Taormina, below the Peloritani.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.245 g.
  • Small households: 1.88 people on average.
  • Steep streams to the sea: check flood hazard by address.

Overview

Roccalumera is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,062 residents, ranked 28 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Roccalumera is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 17 of 108 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.245 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Roccalumera, 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 1.0%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (47). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Roccalumera declared an average taxable income of 20,406 euros, in line with the province (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Roccalumera is in climate zone B, with 638 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 7 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Roccalumera has 5 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.2 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.4).

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 13.5% of the land in Roccalumera, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Roccalumera.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Roccalumera: 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 Roccalumera 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 27 inhabited census areas in Roccalumera. 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 083072. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.