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Sternatia: 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 Sternatia

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 Giorgio Orlandi 1, Sternatia.

Sternatia, in the Grecìa Salentina south of Lecce

Sternatia belongs to the Grecìa Salentina, the group of villages south of Lecce where griko, a dialect of Greek origin, is still spoken, mostly by older people. The village sits in the flat countryside of inland Salento, among olive groves and dry stone walls, and Lecce is a short drive away.

The old centre is made up of courtyard houses in local Lecce stone, with inner yards and facades on the street. They offer plenty of space and often need work: before buying, check the roofs, rising damp in the walls and the state of the wiring and plumbing. Outside the centre there are newer detached houses and country homes.

The figures describe a village that is losing people. According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 2,115 residents in 2023, down 12.8% on 2011. The average age is 50.2, above the provincial 47.2, and over-65s make up 32.7%. Foreign residents account for 2.2%. Declared incomes, on the other hand, are above the provincial average.

Earthquake risk is low: all 96 municipalities in the province of Lecce are in seismic zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.053 g. In old houses the stone vaults and alterations made over the years matter more, and a surveyor can check them on site.

The cadastral maps are published, so the report starts from the address, finds the plot and adds the official flood and landslide maps for that spot, together with distances to local services.

Key points

  • Village of the Grecìa Salentina, where griko survives.
  • Population down 12.8% since 2011.
  • Average age 50.2, over-65s at 32.7%.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Lecce.

Overview

Sternatia is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 2,115 residents, ranked 82 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sternatia 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 0.053 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 12.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (47). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sternatia declared an average taxable income of 22,033 euros, above the provincial average (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Sternatia is in climate zone C, with 1,197 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 75 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sternatia has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 sports facility.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 11.3% of the land in Sternatia, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Sternatia 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 very high. 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 Sternatia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sternatia: 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 Sternatia 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 Sternatia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.1%
  • fair 94.7%
  • good 0.2%

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 075080. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.