Roccascalegna: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Roccascalegna
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 Colle Grande 1, Roccascalegna.
Roccascalegna, the village beneath the castle on the rock
The castle rising from a spur of rock right above the houses is the picture most people have of Roccascalegna. The village lies in the hilly interior of the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, at around 450 metres, with the Majella massif on the horizon and fields, woods and scattered farmhouses all around.
Homes here are mostly stone buildings in the old centre, packed tightly together and often spread over several levels to follow the slope, plus some newer houses along the roads that climb up to the village. You need a car for everything, winters are those of climate zone D (cool, with heating needed for several months) and declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average. Before making an offer, take a careful look at the roof, damp in the walls and the state of the heating and electrics.
According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 1,032 residents in 2023, against 1,285 at the 2011 census, a fall of 19.7%. The average age is 52.6, older than the 47.4 of the province, and over-65s make up 35.7% of the population (the provincial figure is 26.4%). Foreign residents account for 4.7%.
The province of Chieti has municipalities in seismic zones 1, 2 and 3. Roccascalegna is in zone 1, together with 21 other municipalities, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.154 g. In an old masonry house, ask whether any strengthening work has been done and have an engineer check the floors and how the walls are tied together.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the whole municipality. From the address, the report finds the land parcel and checks elevation, slope and the official landslide and flood maps at that exact spot, which on ground this uneven can change from one street to the next.
Key points
- Hill village inland from Chieti, below a castle on a rocky spur.
- Population down 19.7% since 2011, over-65s at 35.7%.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.154 g.
- Average age 52.6, against 47.4 in the province.
Overview
Roccascalegna is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 1,032 residents, ranked 58 of 104 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Roccascalegna is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 22 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.154 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Roccascalegna, 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 19.7%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (47). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 4.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Roccascalegna declared an average taxable income of 19,899 euros, below the provincial average (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Roccascalegna is in climate zone D, with 1,879 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 455 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Roccascalegna has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility.
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 3.4% of the land in Roccascalegna, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no contaminated sites in Roccascalegna.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Roccascalegna: 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 Roccascalegna 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 22 inhabited census areas in Roccascalegna. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 53 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 22.2%
- fair 77.8%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 069075. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.