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Valsinni: 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 Valsinni

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 Principe Umberto 1, Valsinni.

Valsinni, Isabella Morra's castle above the river Sinni

Valsinni is the home of Isabella Morra, the sixteenth-century poet who lived in the castle that still towers over the village. It lies in the lower valley of the river Sinni, in the southern part of the province of Matera, not far from the Ionian coast.

The historic centre huddles below the castle, with stone houses and steep lanes. For services, work and secondary schools, people rely on the coastal towns, Policoro first among them, and on the larger villages in the valley. Buying in the old village means accepting steps, narrow access and work on old walls; newer houses are easier to live in, but there too it is worth checking insulation and systems. The climate is zone D, with hot summers.

There are 1,314 residents (2023). Compared with 2011 that is 19.6% fewer, or 320 people. The average age is 50.1, above the provincial 46.3, and over-65s are 29.9%. Foreign residents make up 5.8%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The province of Matera is split between two seismic zones: 17 municipalities are in zone 2 and 14 in zone 3, Valsinni among them. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.103 g. For a stone building in the old village, find out whether work has been done on the walls and roof and whether it is documented.

The river below and the slopes beneath the village are the two things to look at. The report traces the address to its land parcel and checks the official flood and landslide maps for that plot.

Key points

  • Village below Isabella Morra's castle, in the Sinni valley.
  • 1,314 residents, down 19.6% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.103 g.
  • River and slopes: floods and landslides checked by address.

Overview

Valsinni is a municipality in the province of Matera, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 1,314 residents, ranked 21 of 31 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valsinni is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 3a. 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 0.103 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 19.6%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (46). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 5.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valsinni declared an average taxable income of 18,048 euros, below the provincial average (19,958 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Valsinni is in climate zone D, with 1,462 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 250 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valsinni has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 2.6% of the land in Valsinni, compared with 2.7% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Valsinni.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Valsinni: 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 Valsinni 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 12 inhabited census areas in Valsinni. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 13.4%
  • good 86.6%

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 077030. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.