Roccaspinalveti: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Roccaspinalveti
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: Contrada Bisceglie 1, Roccaspinalveti.
Roccaspinalveti, a mountain village inland from Vasto
Inland from Vasto the hills climb steadily higher until they reach the mountains on the border with Molise. In this part of Abruzzo, known as the Alto Vastese, Roccaspinalveti stands at around 740 metres. Woods, fields and pastures surround the village, and the Adriatic coast is reached by long, winding roads.
Population decline is steep: 1,161 residents in 2023, 273 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 19.0% according to Istat, the national statistics office. Those who remain are older on average than in the rest of the province of Chieti, with an average age of 52.3 against 47.4 and over-65s at 34.6% against 26.4%. Foreign residents make up 3.7%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
For buyers, the choice is mostly stone houses in the old centre, often needing renovation, and a few country houses. This is climate zone E: cold winters, with snow possible, so heating needs careful thought. For a hospital, secondary schools or a big supermarket you have to travel to the larger towns in the valley or on the coast.
Earthquakes are a real issue. Roccaspinalveti is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 55 municipalities in the province, while 22 others are in zone 1; expected ground acceleration is 0.128 g. With an old masonry house, ask what structural work has been carried out and what documents prove it.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report traces the land parcel. In an area of clay hills and steep slopes, landslide hazard deserves a careful look on the official maps, address by address.
Key points
- Inland from Vasto, at around 740 metres, near Molise.
- Population down 19.0% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.128 g.
- Clay slopes: landslide hazard checked for every address.
Overview
Roccaspinalveti is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 1,161 residents, ranked 50 of 104 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Roccaspinalveti is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (55 of 104) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.128 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Roccaspinalveti, 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 19.0%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (47). 35% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 3.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Roccaspinalveti declared an average taxable income of 16,439 euros, below the provincial average (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Roccaspinalveti is in climate zone E, with 2,353 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 740 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Roccaspinalveti has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 parks and green areas.
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 3.5% of the land in Roccaspinalveti, 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
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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Roccaspinalveti. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Roccaspinalveti: 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 Roccaspinalveti 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 18 inhabited census areas in Roccaspinalveti. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 52 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 3.3%
- fair 96.7%
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 069076. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.