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Terravecchia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Terravecchia

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 Nuova 1, Terravecchia.

Terravecchia, a hill village on the Ionian side

Terravecchia is a small hill town in Calabria, on the Ionian side of the province of Cosenza, set back from the coast. The village sits on high ground and the land around it is made of hills, ravines and farmland, with the sea reached by driving down to the coastal towns. For many services, from secondary schools to offices, people rely on the larger centres of the area.

The climate is that of zone D, with winters that are mild for the altitude and hot summers. Buyers mostly find masonry houses in the village and country houses round about. Before buying, check the condition of the structure and the roof, and confirm with the town hall that the property complies with planning rules. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The population has fallen sharply: 575 residents in 2023 against 1,019 in 2011, a drop of 43.6% according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 53.1, against 46.1 in the province, and over-65s make up 36.5%. Foreign residents account for 2.4%.

In the province of Cosenza, 65 municipalities are in zone 1 of the Civil Protection seismic classification and 85 in zone 2. Terravecchia is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.190 g in the built-up area. For a masonry house, ask for the paperwork on any structural work and have a structural engineer inspect it.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available and the report works back from the address to the land parcel. On hilly ground, slope and landslide hazard vary from one plot to the next, so they are read for the individual address alongside the official maps.

Key points

  • Hill village on the Ionian side of the Cosenza area.
  • Residents down 43.6% compared with 2011.
  • Over-65s at 36.5%, estimated average age 53.1.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.190 g.

Overview

Terravecchia is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 575 residents, among the smallest in the province (140 of 150).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Terravecchia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.190 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Terravecchia, 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 43.6%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (46). 37% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Terravecchia declared an average taxable income of 13,155 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Terravecchia is in climate zone D, with 1,751 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 472 metres above sea level.

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 Terravecchia, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 Terravecchia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Terravecchia: 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 Terravecchia 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 Terravecchia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 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 078147. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.