Valguarnera Caropepe: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Enna, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Valguarnera Caropepe
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 Bettino Ricasoli 1, Valguarnera Caropepe.
Valguarnera Caropepe, hills and old mines in central Sicily
In the heart of Sicily, between Enna and Piazza Armerina, Valguarnera Caropepe is a hill town at around 600 metres, surrounded by wheat fields, olive groves and clay hills. The area has a long history of sulphur mining: between Valguarnera and the neighbouring towns lie the Floristella and Grottacalda mines, closed long ago and now a mining heritage park.
Over recent decades many families have left for northern Italy or abroad, and it shows: the old centre has a number of empty houses or homes needing work, and the property market is small and slow. If you buy an older house, budget for a new roof and services, and have a surveyor check that the building matches the cadastral records and the building permits. Enna, with its offices and university, is the nearest main town.
The fall in population is steep: 6,846 in 2023, 16.3% fewer than in 2011, or 1,336 people, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Average age (46.1) and the share of over-65s (25.6%) are in line with the province; foreign residents are just 1.3%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial figure.
For earthquakes, Valguarnera is in seismic zone 2 of the national classification, like 18 of the 20 municipalities in the province of Enna. The expected ground acceleration in the town, about 0.091 g, is lower than in many places in the same zone, but a structural check is still sensible for old masonry before you buy.
Landslides deserve the most attention. The clay soils of central Sicily move easily after rain, and houses on the edge of town or on slopes need checking one by one: the report does this for the address with the official maps.
Key points
- Hill town in central Sicily, between Enna and Piazza Armerina.
- Population down 16.3% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.091 g.
- Clay soils: landslides to check house by house.
Overview
Valguarnera Caropepe is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,846 residents, ranked 8 of 20 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valguarnera Caropepe is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 20) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.091 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Valguarnera Caropepe, 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 16.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valguarnera Caropepe declared an average taxable income of 16,355 euros, below the provincial average (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Valguarnera Caropepe is in climate zone D, with 1,557 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 590 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valguarnera Caropepe has 8 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets and 2 sports facilities.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 11.2% of the land in Valguarnera Caropepe, compared with 3.2% in the province and 6.6% 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Valguarnera Caropepe. 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 Valguarnera Caropepe: 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 Valguarnera Caropepe 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 31 inhabited census areas in Valguarnera Caropepe. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 78 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 4.6%
- good 60.0%
- very good 35.5%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 086019. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.