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San Fele: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Potenza, Basilicata. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in San Fele

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, San Fele.

San Fele, a mountain village with waterfalls in northern Basilicata

San Fele is a mountain village in the north of the province of Potenza, built on a rise that is high by the standards of the Lucanian Apennines, among woods, pastures and ravines. It is known for the waterfalls formed by the stream that runs through the municipality, a popular walk, and for an old centre of stone houses built against the slope. Potenza and the Vulture area are the reference points for services and work, reached along mountain roads.

Anyone considering a purchase here will find low prices and many houses needing renovation, often on several floors with stepped access. Winters are long and cold (climate zone E, with frequent snow): heating and insulation are significant costs. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

The population is among the oldest in the area. Istat, the national statistics office, counts 2,533 residents in 2023, 20.0% fewer than in 2011; the average age is 52.2, against 47.3 in the province of Potenza, and 34.0% are over 65. Foreign residents make up 4.1%.

The first figure to look at is seismic. San Fele is in zone 1, the most hazardous class in the Civil Protection classification, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.208 g in the built-up area. Before buying a masonry house, ask for documents on structural work and, if there are none, get an engineer's opinion.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre is published. On the slopes, the report reads the gradient and official landslide maps for the address, and measures distances to the nearest services.

Key points

  • Mountain village near Potenza, known for its waterfalls
  • Seismic zone 1, the highest: acceleration 0.208 g
  • 2,533 residents, 20.0% fewer than in 2011
  • Average age 52.2, 34.0% over 65

Overview

San Fele is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 2,533 residents, ranked 39 of 100 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Fele is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 1b. Only 40 of 100 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.208 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in San Fele, 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 20.0%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (47). 34% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 4.1% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Fele declared an average taxable income of 15,648 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

San Fele is in climate zone E, with 2,495 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 872 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Fele has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 2.2% of the land in San Fele, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% 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 no contaminated sites in San Fele.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Fele: 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 Fele 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 29 inhabited census areas in San Fele. 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

ISTAT code 076076. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.