San Quirico d'Orcia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Siena, Toscana. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in San Quirico d'Orcia
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 Dante Alighieri 1, San Quirico d'Orcia.
San Quirico d'Orcia, the Horti Leonini and Bagno Vignoni
San Quirico d'Orcia lies at the heart of the Val d'Orcia, the landscape of hills, cypresses and farmhouses in the province of Siena that Unesco has listed as World Heritage. The town, at around 400 metres, is crossed by the Via Francigena pilgrim route and keeps its walls, a Romanesque collegiate church and the Horti Leonini, an Italian formal garden open to the public. The municipality also includes Bagno Vignoni, the hamlet with a thermal pool in place of a square.
The housing market here is unusual. Alongside year-round residents there are Italian and foreign buyers looking for a holiday home or a farmhouse to restore, plus tourist accommodation. Landscape protection is strict: for a farmhouse in the countryside or a house in the historic centre, check at once what you may do about extensions, swimming pools and changes of use. Siena can be reached by car along the Via Cassia.
The population is 2,587 (2023 figure from Istat, the national statistics office), down 3.5% since 2011. Over-65s make up 26.7%, in line with the province (26.9%). Foreign residents account for 13.1%. Average incomes are slightly below the provincial figure.
On earthquakes, San Quirico d'Orcia is in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.143 g. In stone farmhouses and old houses in the town, have a surveyor assess walls, vaults and roofs before you buy.
On the clay hills of the Val d'Orcia, slopes and drainage matter. For each address the report reads the official landslide and flood maps and shows the cadastral maps.
Key points
- Val d'Orcia, a Unesco World Heritage landscape.
- Horti Leonini in town, Bagno Vignoni within the municipality.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.143 g.
- Strict landscape rules on farmhouses and the old town.
Overview
San Quirico d'Orcia is a municipality in the province of Siena, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 2,587 residents, ranked 23 of 35 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Quirico d'Orcia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (31 of 35) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.143 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 3.5%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 13.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Quirico d'Orcia declared an average taxable income of 23,642 euros, below the provincial average (25,404 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Quirico d'Orcia is in climate zone D, with 2,041 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 409 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Quirico d'Orcia has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 sports facility and 4 parks and green areas.
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 4.4% of the land in San Quirico d'Orcia, compared with 4.0% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Quirico d'Orcia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana 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 Quirico d'Orcia.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Quirico d'Orcia: 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 Quirico d'Orcia 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 23 inhabited census areas in San Quirico d'Orcia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 80 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 6.3%
- good 2.3%
- very good 91.4%
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 Toscana, 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 052030. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.