San Martino in Pensilis: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Campobasso, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Martino in Pensilis
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 Marina 1, San Martino in Pensilis.
San Martino in Pensilis, the ox-cart race and hills near Termoli
At the end of April San Martino in Pensilis comes to a halt for the Carrese, a race of ox-drawn carts in honour of Saint Leo, a tradition it shares with only a few other towns in lower Molise. For the rest of the year it is a farming town on a hill between the river Biferno and the sea, about fifteen kilometres from Termoli, surrounded by wheat fields, olive groves and vineyards.
Proximity to Termoli is the most useful fact for a buyer: jobs, the railway station, the hospital and beaches are about twenty minutes away by car, while house prices in the town remain far below those on the coast. In the centre there are masonry houses on several levels, often needing work; on the edges, buildings from recent decades. There are 34 recorded services.
The population is falling. In 2023 there were 4,475 residents, 322 fewer than at the 2011 census (6.7% fewer). The average age of 46.4 is a little lower than the province of Campobasso (47.6), over-65s make up 24.8% and foreign residents 6.5%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Lower Molise is earthquake country. San Martino is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 63 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.175 g. For a house built before seismic rules, ask whether any structural work has been done and under which permits.
The clay hills of the area are prone to landslides and ground movement, sometimes slow, which show up as cracked walls and warped roads. The report checks the official landslide maps for the individual address, and a careful inspection on site remains essential.
Key points
- The Carrese at the end of April, about fifteen km from Termoli.
- 4,475 residents, down 6.7% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration of about 0.175 g.
- Clay hills: check landslides at the address.
Overview
San Martino in Pensilis is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 4,475 residents, among the most populous in the province (9 of 84).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Martino in Pensilis is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.175 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Martino in Pensilis, 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 6.7%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 6.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Martino in Pensilis declared an average taxable income of 16,648 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Martino in Pensilis is in climate zone D, with 1,674 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 281 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Martino in Pensilis has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).
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 2.4% of the land in San Martino in Pensilis, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.1 hectares.
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 Martino in Pensilis.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Martino in Pensilis: 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 Martino in Pensilis 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 34 inhabited census areas in San Martino in Pensilis. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 2.4%
- fair 41.6%
- good 56.0%
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 070069. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.