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Sommatino: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Sommatino

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: Corso Umberto Primo 1, Sommatino.

Sommatino, a sulphur-mining town above the Salso valley

For more than a century Sommatino's story was that of its sulphur mines. The Trabia-Tallarita mine, between Sommatino and Riesi, was one of the largest in Sicily and employed generations of miners before it closed. The town lies inland in the province of Caltanissetta, at over three hundred and fifty metres, above the valley of the river Salso, also called the southern Imera.

When the mines closed many people left for northern Italy and abroad, and the population is still falling: 6,363 residents at the end of 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, 904 fewer than in 2011, a drop of 12.4%. The average age is 46.6, above the provincial 45.2, and foreign residents make up just 2.3%. Declared incomes are low even by Caltanissetta standards.

For buyers, that means plenty of choice and low prices: multi-storey town houses, often in need of renovation, and homes left behind by emigrants. Before buying, check the roof, damp and the wiring and plumbing, and make sure the house matches its cadastral and planning documents. Caltanissetta, with its hospital and public offices, is about half an hour by road.

Sommatino is in seismic zone 3 on the Civil Protection scale, like 18 of the 22 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.065 g. In old masonry houses the risk still needs attention: walls should be well tied to the floors and the roof should not overload them.

The clay slopes running down towards the Salso make it worth checking landslide hazard at the address, which the report does with the official maps. The cadastral maps are published, and the report goes from the address to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Former sulphur-mining town above the Salso valley.
  • Population down 12.4% since 2011, foreign residents at 2.3%.
  • Many town houses needing work, at low prices.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.065 g.

Overview

Sommatino is a municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,363 residents, ranked 8 of 22 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sommatino is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 22) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.065 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 12.4%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sommatino declared an average taxable income of 16,750 euros, below the provincial average (19,090 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Sommatino is in climate zone C, with 1,205 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 359 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sommatino has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 6.8% of the land in Sommatino, compared with 4.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Sommatino; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sommatino: 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 Sommatino 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 27 inhabited census areas in Sommatino. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 5.6%
  • good 89.2%
  • very good 5.3%

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 085019. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.