San Donato di Lecce: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Lecce, Puglia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Donato di Lecce
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 Roma 1, San Donato di Lecce.
San Donato di Lecce, olive groves and Lecce stone south of the city
The land around San Donato di Lecce is flat, marked by olive groves, dry-stone walls and old farmhouses known as masserie, and Lecce is about ten kilometres to the north. The municipality also includes the village of Galugnano. Like many small towns in Salento, the southern tip of Puglia, it is closely tied to the city: many residents travel there every day for work, school and services.
The old centre is dominated by courtyard houses and homes built of Lecce stone, the local soft limestone, with vaulted ceilings, often in need of renovation. Outside the historic core there are detached houses built from the 1960s onwards, and in the countryside a few villas with land. The landscape has changed in recent years because many Salento olive trees have been hit by Xylella, a plant disease, so if the land around a house is an olive grove, ask about the state of the trees. The climate is mild, zone C, with long hot summers.
At the end of 2023 there were 5,413 residents, down 6.5% since 2011. The average age (47.8) and the share of over-65s (26.8%) are slightly above the province of Lecce, and foreign residents are few, at 2.9%. Average declared incomes are in line with the province, just above.
Salento is quiet in seismic terms: all 96 municipalities in the province are in zone 4, the lowest, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.051 g. In stone houses the usual problem is rising damp in the walls, along with the condition of the vaults and flat roof terraces.
With no rivers on the surface, heavy rain collects in the lowest parts of the countryside. The report checks flood hazard for the address and finds the land parcel using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps.
Key points
- A Salento town about ten kilometres from Lecce.
- Courtyard houses and Lecce stone vaults in the old centre.
- 5,413 residents, 26.8% over 65.
- Seismic zone 4, like every municipality in the province.
Overview
San Donato di Lecce is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 5,413 residents, ranked 49 of 96 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Donato di Lecce is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 96 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.051 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 6.5%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Donato di Lecce declared an average taxable income of 19,648 euros, in line with the province (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Donato di Lecce is in climate zone C, with 1,202 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 79 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Donato di Lecce has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 sports facilities and 1 green area.
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 14.6% of the land in San Donato di Lecce, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Donato di Lecce is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 no contaminated sites in San Donato di Lecce.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Donato di Lecce: 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 Donato di Lecce 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 San Donato di Lecce. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 21.4%
- fair 78.6%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Puglia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- 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 075069. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.