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Sperlinga: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Sperlinga

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 Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, Sperlinga.

Sperlinga, the rock-cut castle and cave dwellings

Sperlinga's castle is largely carved out of the sandstone outcrop it stands on, and at its foot are the caves that for centuries served as homes, stables and storerooms. The castle still bears the Latin motto "Quod Siculis placuit, sola Sperlinga negavit", linked to the tradition that during the Sicilian Vespers revolt Sperlinga sheltered the French. The village lies in the north of the province of Enna, at around 750 metres, among the hills and uplands of inland Sicily.

At this altitude winters are cold by Sicilian standards, so choose a house with heating and insulation in mind. The market is made up of houses in the village centre, often small and on several levels, some built against the rock: in those cases damp and the stability of the rock face should be checked by a surveyor. The report measures elevation and slope at the address and checks the official landslide maps.

The population has fallen from 833 residents in 2011 to 675 in 2023, a drop of 19.0%. The estimated average age is 50.7, against 46.4 in the province of Enna, and over-65s make up 32.4%. Foreign residents are 1.8%. Average declared income is lower than in the province. For work, secondary schools and the hospital, people drive to the larger towns of the area.

Sperlinga is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 17 other municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration in the village is about 0.136 g. With a masonry house, ask about the year of construction and any structural work done, with the related permits.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Sperlinga, and the report links the address to the land parcel and the building.

Key points

  • Rock-cut castle and old cave dwellings.
  • Village at around 750 metres in the north of the province of Enna.
  • 675 residents, down 19.0% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.136 g.

Overview

Sperlinga is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 675 residents, among the smallest in the province (20 of 20).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sperlinga is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 20) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.136 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Sperlinga, 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 19.0%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (46). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sperlinga declared an average taxable income of 16,546 euros, below the provincial average (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Sperlinga is in climate zone D, with 1,800 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 750 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sperlinga has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 2.0% of the land in Sperlinga, compared with 3.2% in the province and 6.6% 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 Sperlinga.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sperlinga: 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 Sperlinga 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 6 inhabited census areas in Sperlinga. 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

ISTAT code 086017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.