Sasso di Castalda: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Potenza, Basilicata. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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, Sasso di Castalda.
Sasso di Castalda, a mountain village south of Potenza
Sasso di Castalda stands at almost 950 metres in the mountains of Basilicata south of Potenza, with its old centre built against the rock and woodland all around. In recent years the village has become known for the Tibetan-style suspension bridge over the gorge near the houses, which draws visitors mainly in summer. For work, secondary schools and hospital care, people drive towards Potenza or the larger valley towns.
There were 725 residents in 2023, 12.8% fewer than in 2011 (Istat, the national statistics office). The population is elderly: average age 49.6 against 47.3 in the province of Potenza, over-65s at 31.6% against 25.7%. Foreign residents account for 2.3%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Earthquakes come first. Sasso di Castalda is in seismic zone 1, the highest class, like 39 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the centre is about 0.255 g. A stone or masonry house needs a thorough structural check and the paperwork for any work done, especially if the building was repaired in the past.
Then comes the climate. At this height winters are long and snowy (climate zone E), and the insulation of the house weighs on costs as much as the purchase price. The streets in the centre are steep: access, parking and the slope of the plot need to be seen in person, while the report reads the official landslide maps for the address.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality, and from the address the report reaches the land parcel.
Key points
- Mountain village at about 950 metres, south of Potenza.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.255 g.
- Over-65s at 31.6%, against 25.7% in the province.
- Long, snowy winters: check the insulation.
Overview
Sasso di Castalda is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 725 residents, ranked 84 of 100 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sasso di Castalda is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 1a. Only 40 of 100 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.255 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Sasso di Castalda, 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 12.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (47). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sasso di Castalda declared an average taxable income of 17,914 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Sasso di Castalda is in climate zone E, with 2,635 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 949 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sasso di Castalda has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 2.8% of the land in Sasso di Castalda, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% 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 Sasso di Castalda.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sasso di Castalda: 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 Sasso di Castalda 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 10 inhabited census areas in Sasso di Castalda. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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
- 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 076082. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.