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Torrenova: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Torrenova

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 Nazionale 1, Torrenova.

Torrenova, a coastal plain below the Nebrodi mountains

Torrenova is a town on the Tyrrhenian coast of the province of Messina, between Capo d'Orlando and Sant'Agata di Militello, on a narrow strip of flat land between the sea and the first hills of the Nebrodi range. It became a municipality in its own right only recently, and it shows: the town is modern, grown along the SS113 coast road and towards the beach, without a real historic centre. The older villages of the area stand on the heights behind.

For a buyer it is a practical place. Housing is mostly low-rise blocks and detached homes from recent decades, with supermarkets and services along the main road and the sea a short walk away. The Messina to Palermo motorway runs behind the town. Along the coast many homes are second homes, used mainly in summer.

Unlike many Sicilian towns, Torrenova is growing. In 2023 there were 4,507 residents, up 6.3% on 2011, and the population is younger than the provincial average: an average age of 44.8 against 46.7, over-65s at 21.3% against 25.2%. Foreign residents make up 3.9%.

Seismic risk is significant, as across most of the province. Torrenova is in zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, along with 90 other municipalities around Messina, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.168 g. For a block of flats from the 1970s or 1980s, ask for the structural design and any later work.

The other issue is water. The streams coming down from the Nebrodi, known locally as fiumare, are dry for much of the year but can swell quickly in heavy rain. The report checks the flood maps and the distance from watercourses for the individual address.

Key points

  • Tyrrhenian plain between Capo d'Orlando and Sant'Agata di Militello.
  • 4,507 residents, up 6.3% since 2011.
  • Young population: average age 44.8, over-65s at 21.3%.
  • Seismic zone 2; check seasonal streams and flooding.

Overview

Torrenova is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,507 residents, ranked 22 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Torrenova is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (91 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.168 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Torrenova, 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 grown by 6.3%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (47). 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Torrenova declared an average taxable income of 18,821 euros, below the provincial average (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Torrenova is in climate zone B, with 654 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 10 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Torrenova has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets and 5 sports facilities.

The data shows no healthcare facilities 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 17.0% of the land in Torrenova, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Torrenova; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Torrenova: 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 Torrenova 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 30 inhabited census areas in Torrenova. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.4%
  • fair 43.0%
  • 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 083108. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.