San Giovanni in Fiore: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Giovanni in Fiore
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 Giovanni in Fiore.
San Giovanni in Fiore, the largest town in the Sila
At over a thousand metres, on the Sila plateau, San Giovanni in Fiore is the most populous town on the plateau and one of the highest towns in Calabria. It grew up around the Florensian abbey founded by the medieval abbot Joachim of Fiore and spreads down the hillside towards the Neto valley. The municipality covers a huge area of forest, pasture and part of the Sila's reservoir lakes, busy in summer and, when there is snow, in winter.
Climate weighs more on the choice of a house here than elsewhere. The town is in climate zone E, winters are long and cold and snow is common, so insulation, windows and heating deserve a close look, as does the roof. Cosenza and Crotone are reached along the Silana Crotonese main road that crosses the plateau.
Emigration has shaped the town's history and still does. In 2023 there were 15,710 residents, down 12.3% since 2011, or 2,202 fewer people, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 46.6 against 46.1 in the province, and over-65s make up 25.3%. Foreign residents are few, 2.9%. In the old town it is not unusual to find houses that have been shut for years, so before buying have the walls, floors and roof checked.
Seismic hazard is high, as in much of Calabria. San Giovanni in Fiore is in zone 2 of the Civil Protection Department's classification, and expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.226 g; in the province of Cosenza, 65 municipalities are in zone 1, the most hazardous class. For a stone or reinforced concrete building put up before recent standards, asking about surveys and work carried out is the first step.
Many streets and houses stand on the slope, so for each address the report checks the gradient and the official landslide maps. Cadastral maps from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) are published here too.
Key points
- The Sila's most populous town, above a thousand metres.
- Population down 12.3% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.226 g.
- Long, cold winters: check insulation and the roof.
Overview
San Giovanni in Fiore is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 15,710 residents, among the most populous in the province (8 of 150).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Giovanni in Fiore is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.226 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Giovanni in Fiore, 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 12.3%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Giovanni in Fiore declared an average taxable income of 18,107 euros, in line with the province (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Giovanni in Fiore is in climate zone E, with 2,897 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 1,049 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Giovanni in Fiore has 24 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 11 grocery shops and supermarkets, 16 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.
There are 1.0 healthcare facilities 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 1.8% of the land in San Giovanni in Fiore, compared with 4.4% 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 Giovanni in Fiore.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Giovanni in Fiore: 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 Giovanni in Fiore 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 113 inhabited census areas in San Giovanni in Fiore. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.4%
- fair 18.3%
- good 66.4%
- very good 14.9%
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 078119. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.