Sambuca di Sicilia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Agrigento, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Sambuca di Sicilia
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: Corso Umberto Primo 1, Sambuca di Sicilia.
Sambuca di Sicilia, Arab lanes above Lake Arancio
Sambuca di Sicilia sits on a hill in the Agrigento hinterland, at around 350 metres, overlooking Lake Arancio, a reservoir surrounded by vineyards. The sea at Menfi is about twenty kilometres away and Sciacca a little further, while Agrigento and Palermo are more than an hour's drive. The municipality also includes the archaeological site of Monte Adranone, with the remains of an ancient city on the summit above the valley.
The historic centre keeps a district of narrow lanes and courtyards laid out in the Arab period, known as the vicoli saraceni, and grand townhouses along the main street. In recent years the town council has sold a number of abandoned houses in the centre for token prices, on condition that buyers restore them within a set time, and the scheme has drawn buyers from abroad. If you buy an old house here, budget for substantial work, often on stone walls and roofs, and check the rules for the historic centre before planning anything.
In 2023 there were 5,301 residents, 813 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 13.3%. The average age is 46.4 and over-65s make up 25.7%, against 24.0% in the province. Foreign residents account for 4.3%, and average declared incomes are a little below the Agrigento average.
The Belice valley, struck by the 1968 earthquake, is not far away, and seismic hazard needs to be taken seriously here. Sambuca is in seismic zone 2 of the national classification set by the Civil Protection Department, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.154 g; in the province 3 municipalities are in zone 1. Before signing for an old masonry house, get a structural survey as well as a quote for the work.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the report finds the plot and also checks the official landslide maps for sloping ground at the address.
Key points
- Historic centre with Arab-era lanes, views over Lake Arancio.
- Population down 13.3% since 2011.
- Old houses sold by the council, with an obligation to restore.
- Seismic zone 2, close to the Belice valley.
Overview
Sambuca di Sicilia is a municipality in the province of Agrigento, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 5,301 residents, ranked 21 of 43 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sambuca di Sicilia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (27 of 43) are in the same zone.
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 Sambuca di Sicilia, 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 13.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sambuca di Sicilia declared an average taxable income of 17,064 euros, below the provincial average (18,027 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Sambuca di Sicilia is in climate zone C, with 1,092 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 350 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sambuca di Sicilia has 3 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 1 sports facility and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).
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 3.8% of the land in Sambuca di Sicilia, compared with 5.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.4 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Sambuca di Sicilia; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sambuca di Sicilia: 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 Sambuca di Sicilia 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 28 inhabited census areas in Sambuca di Sicilia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 9.4%
- good 90.6%
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 084034. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.