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San Sosti: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in San Sosti

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 Nazionale 1, San Sosti.

San Sosti, the Esaro valley and the Pettoruto shrine

San Sosti stands on the lower slopes of the Orsomarso mountains, overlooking the Esaro valley in the northern interior of the province of Cosenza. Within the municipality is the shrine of the Madonna del Pettoruto, a pilgrimage destination for the whole area. The village is at about 360 metres, with a steep old centre and farmland running down towards the valley.

The town has emptied considerably. There are 1,872 residents in 2023, down 14.9% on 2011, or 328 fewer people. The average age is 47.7, over-65s are 28.0% and foreign residents 6.6%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.

The market offers village houses at very low prices, along with some newer buildings along the access roads. If you are thinking of a summer house or a move here, bear in mind that secondary schools, the hospital and offices are in the larger towns of the valley and the Sibari plain.

San Sosti is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection scale, with an expected acceleration of 0.216 g. In a province where 65 municipalities are in zone 1, the building quality of the house is the first thing to check: ask for the year of construction, type of structure and documented work.

On the slopes, gradient and ground type matter; near the Esaro and its tributaries, flood-prone areas do. The report reads the official maps for the exact spot, starting from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, which are published for San Sosti.

Key points

  • Esaro valley, at the foot of the Orsomarso mountains.
  • Shrine of the Madonna del Pettoruto within the municipality.
  • Population down 14.9% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.216 g.

Overview

San Sosti is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,872 residents, ranked 78 of 150 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Sosti 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 0.216 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in San Sosti, 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 14.9%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Sosti declared an average taxable income of 17,742 euros, in line with the province (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

San Sosti is in climate zone D, with 1,580 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 363 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Sosti has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets.

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 2.1% of the land in San Sosti, 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 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 Sosti.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Sosti: 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 Sosti 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 11 inhabited census areas in San Sosti. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 55 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 078128. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.