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Spinoso: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Spinoso

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 Cavour 1, Spinoso.

Spinoso, the Agri valley and Lake Pertusillo

Along the Agri valley in south-western Basilicata, Spinoso sits on a rise at around six hundred and fifty metres overlooking Lake Pertusillo, a reservoir. Around it are fields, pasture and woodland. The larger towns of the valley are a short drive away, while Potenza, with the regional offices and the university, is a longer trip.

Earthquakes come first. In the province of Potenza, 40 municipalities are in seismic zone 1, the highest level in the Civil Protection classification, and 59 in zone 2. Spinoso is in zone 1, with an expected ground acceleration in the village of 0.243 g. The Agri valley has had strong earthquakes in the past, so for any house ask for the year of construction, any structural work done and the documents that prove it.

The village has shrunk quickly: 1,296 residents in 2023, 16.7% fewer than in 2011. Over-65s are 27.3% (25.7% in the province) and the average age is 49.4, against 47.3. Foreign residents are 2.5%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Homes for sale are mostly village houses on several floors, built in masonry, plus a few country houses with land. It is climate zone D, with cool rather than harsh winters, but in an old house with dated systems heating still adds up, so get an idea of running costs before making an offer.

Near the lake and along watercourses, the report checks the official flood maps; on the slopes, the landslide maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published, so the address leads to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Agri valley, on a rise overlooking Lake Pertusillo.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.243 g.
  • Population down 16.7% since 2011.
  • Masonry village houses: ask about age and structural work.

Overview

Spinoso is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 1,296 residents, ranked 63 of 100 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Spinoso 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 1b. 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 0.243 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Spinoso, 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 16.7%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Spinoso declared an average taxable income of 18,683 euros, below the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Spinoso is in climate zone D, with 2,089 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 649 metres above sea level.

Services

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

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 2.1% of the land in Spinoso, 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 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 Spinoso.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Spinoso: 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 Spinoso 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 8 inhabited census areas in Spinoso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 51 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 26.8%
  • fair 73.2%

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 076086. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.