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Specchia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Specchia

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 Italia 0, Specchia.

Specchia, a stone village in the Salento hills

Specchia belongs to the Borghi più belli d'Italia, the association of Italy's most beautiful villages, and a walk through the old centre shows why: courtyard houses in Lecce stone, alleys, arches and the Risolo castle on the main square. The town sits on the Serre salentine, the low ridges of the Cape of Leuca, about ten kilometres from both the Adriatic and the Ionian coasts.

In recent years the old centre has drawn buyers from elsewhere, foreigners included, looking for a courtyard house to restore as a holiday home or to move to. Prices remain low compared with the coast, but work on an old house, with stone vaults and thick walls, needs experienced surveyors and builders. Outside the centre there are detached and newer houses, and the hamlet of Cardigliano is close by. Lecce is about an hour's drive.

In 2023 there were 4,540 residents, down 5.6% since 2011. The average age is 47.2, the same as the province of Lecce (47.2), and over-65s make up 27.1%. There are few foreign residents, 1.8%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquake risk is low. All 96 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection classification, and in Specchia the expected ground acceleration is about 0.062 g. For courtyard houses the things to check are different: rising damp in stone walls, the state of the vaults and the flat roof terrace, and often outdated wiring and plumbing. There are no rivers, but very heavy storms can leave water pooling in low spots. The report checks the official maps for the address.

Key points

  • One of Italy's most beautiful villages, with the Risolo castle.
  • 4,540 residents, over-65s at 27.1%.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 4, acceleration 0.062 g.
  • Courtyard houses: check damp, vaults and roof terraces.

Overview

Specchia is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,540 residents, ranked 59 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Specchia is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 96 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.062 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 5.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 1.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Specchia declared an average taxable income of 17,293 euros, below the provincial average (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Specchia is in climate zone C, with 1,367 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 131 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Specchia has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 green area.

There are 0.2 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 13.8% of the land in Specchia, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Specchia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Specchia. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Specchia: 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 Specchia 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 18 inhabited census areas in Specchia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 44.4%
  • good 55.6%

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 075077. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.