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Tursi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Tursi

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 Roma 1, Tursi.

Tursi, the Rabatana and the badlands towards the Sinni

The oldest part of Tursi is called the Rabatana, a name of Arabic origin, and it clings to a spur of clay and sand cut by calanchi, the eroded gullies typical of the area. The modern town has moved further down along the road, while the Rabatana keeps its alleys, some partly abandoned houses and the places linked to the poet Albino Pierro, who wrote in the local dialect. The municipality also includes the sanctuary of Santa Maria di Anglona, alone on a hilltop.

Tursi lies inland in the Metaponto area, not far from the river Sinni, looking towards the farmed plain that stretches to Policoro and the sea. Buyers find low prices, especially in the older parts, but must take the ground into account: the clay of the gullies moves, and some slopes are unstable. The report checks the official landslide maps for the address, and for a house on the edge of town this is the first thing to look at.

The population is falling: 4,748 residents in 2023, 403 fewer than in 2011, a drop of 7.8%. The average age is 46.9, above the province of Matera (46.3), and over-65s make up 26.3%. Foreign residents account for 11.0%. Households are small, 2.11 people on average.

Tursi is in seismic zone 3, like 13 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.094 g. In the stone houses of the upper town, have the ties between walls and floors checked. Winters are mild (climate zone D) and summer heat is more of an issue than cold.

Key points

  • The Rabatana on the badlands and the Anglona sanctuary.
  • Landslides on clay slopes to be checked for the address.
  • 4,748 residents, down 7.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.094 g.

Overview

Tursi is a municipality in the province of Matera, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 4,748 residents, ranked 10 of 31 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Tursi is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 3b. Only 14 of 31 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.094 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 7.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 11.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Tursi declared an average taxable income of 16,663 euros, below the provincial average (19,958 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Tursi is in climate zone D, with 1,452 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 243 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Tursi has 6 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 1.9% of the land in Tursi, compared with 2.7% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Tursi. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Tursi: 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 Tursi 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 50 inhabited census areas in Tursi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 80 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 10.0%
  • good 40.0%
  • very good 50.0%

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 077029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.