San Filippo del Mela: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Messina, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Filippo del Mela
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 Garibaldi 1, San Filippo del Mela.
San Filippo del Mela, between the Milazzo plain and the hills
Behind Milazzo, on the Tyrrhenian side of the province of Messina, San Filippo del Mela is split between the main village on the first hills and the hamlets on the plain, such as Olivarella, Archi and Corriolo, which grew along the roads towards Milazzo and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The municipality's name is also linked to the large thermal power station on its land, not far from the Milazzo oil refinery. The industrial zone takes up a good part of the plain, which is why so much of the land is built over for a place this size.
The key question for buyers is how close to the plants they are willing to live. Distance from the chimneys, heavy traffic and service roads vary a lot from one hamlet to another, so visit in person at different times and on different days. The climate is mild, climate zone B, with short winters.
At the end of 2023 there were 6,694 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 5.3% since 2011. The population is a little younger than the province's: estimated average age 45.6 against 46.7, over-65s at 23.6%. Foreign residents make up 3.6%.
For earthquakes San Filippo is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 91 municipalities in the Messina area, while another 17 are in zone 1. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.166 g, a medium-high value. In blocks of flats built between the 1960s and the 1980s, ask for the structural design and sign-off certificate, and check the state of balconies and cornices.
Streams run from the hills down to the plain and rise quickly in heavy rain, so landslide and flood hazard are checked for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published and the report finds the plot.
Key points
- Hill village and plain hamlets behind Milazzo.
- Thermal power station and industrial zone on its land.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.166 g.
- Population down 5.3% since 2011.
Overview
San Filippo del Mela is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,694 residents, ranked 15 of 108 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Filippo del Mela is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (91 of 108) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.166 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Filippo del Mela, 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, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Filippo del Mela declared an average taxable income of 19,701 euros, in line with the province (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Filippo del Mela is in climate zone B, with 837 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 123 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Filippo del Mela has 10 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 3 sports facilities.
There are 1.0 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more 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 35.8% of the land in San Filippo del Mela, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% 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 Filippo del Mela.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Filippo del Mela: 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 Filippo del Mela 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 27 inhabited census areas in San Filippo del Mela. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.2%
- fair 12.8%
- good 59.9%
- very good 26.2%
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 083077. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.