San Benedetto dei Marsi: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Benedetto dei Marsi
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 Vittorio Veneto 1, San Benedetto dei Marsi.
San Benedetto dei Marsi, on the edge of the Fucino plain
San Benedetto dei Marsi looks out over the Fucino plain, a former lake drained in the nineteenth century and now one of the most productive farming areas in Abruzzo, planted mostly with vegetables. Under and around the town lie the remains of Marruvium, the main city of the Marsi, the ancient people who gave the Marsica area its name. Avezzano, the largest town in the area, is a short drive away.
The present town was largely rebuilt after the 1915 earthquake, which destroyed many places in the Marsica. As a result, most of the housing dates from the twentieth century, with newer homes on the outskirts and few truly old buildings. The land is flat, and work revolves largely around Fucino farming and businesses in Avezzano. At around 680 metres winters are cold, and the town is in climate zone E.
In 2023 there were 3,703 residents, down 5.3% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The population is younger than average: the mean age is 45.6 against 47.5, and over-65s are 23.4% against 26.4% in the province of L'Aquila. Foreign residents account for 11.3%. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.
Here the earthquake is the first thing to check. The municipality is in seismic zone 1, the highest in the classification of the Civil Protection Department (the national emergency agency), like 102 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.259 g. For a house built before modern seismic rules, ask for the design, any strengthening work and any reconstruction paperwork, and have an engineer look at the building before making an offer. On the plain the report also checks the official flood maps for the address.
Key points
- On the edge of the Fucino plain, site of Roman Marruvium.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.259 g.
- 3,703 residents, average age 45.6, younger than the province.
- Houses rebuilt after 1915: have the structure checked.
Overview
San Benedetto dei Marsi is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 3,703 residents, ranked 14 of 108 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Benedetto dei Marsi 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 0.259 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Benedetto dei Marsi, 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 5.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (48). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 11.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Benedetto dei Marsi declared an average taxable income of 18,775 euros, below the provincial average (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Benedetto dei Marsi is in climate zone E, with 2,502 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 678 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Benedetto dei Marsi has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets and 3 sports facilities.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 12.2% of the land in San Benedetto dei Marsi, 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 medium. 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 San Benedetto dei Marsi.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Benedetto dei Marsi: 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 San Benedetto dei Marsi 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 13 inhabited census areas in San Benedetto dei Marsi. 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
- 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 066085. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.