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Vernole: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Vernole

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 Lecce Strudà 1, Vernole.

Vernole, Acaya and Le Cesine between Lecce and the Adriatic

Vernole is less a single town than a group of villages south-east of Lecce. Besides the main village there are hamlets such as Acaya, Vanze, Strudà and Pisignano, scattered across olive country that slopes down towards the Adriatic. Acaya is the best known: a fortified sixteenth-century town whose castle and circuit of walls can still be traced. On the coast the municipality includes the Le Cesine protected area, with lagoons, scrub and pine woods facing the sea, one of the most important wetlands in Salento.

Buyers here often want a detached house with outdoor space, a quarter of an hour from Lecce. The courtyard houses in the hamlet centres have stone vaults and thick walls, but also damp and systems that need redoing.

There were 6,646 residents at the end of 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 8.9% since 2011. The population is older than the province's: estimated average age 48.8 against 47.2, over-65s at 29.3% against 26.1%. Foreign residents make up 2.5%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

The whole province of Lecce is in seismic zone 4, the lowest level in the Civil Protection classification, and in Vernole expected ground acceleration is about 0.051 g. For a country house, water supply, drainage (mains sewer or a private system) and whether extensions and verandas were properly permitted matter more, so check the planning records before signing a preliminary contract.

Towards the coast there are low, wet areas. The report checks flood hazard for the address and finds the plot on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Several villages south-east of Lecce, including fortified Acaya.
  • Le Cesine protected area on the Adriatic coast.
  • Over-65s at 29.3%, against 26.1% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.051 g.

Overview

Vernole is a municipality in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,646 residents, ranked 37 of 96 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Vernole is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 96 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.051 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 8.9%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Vernole declared an average taxable income of 19,401 euros, in line with the province (19,196 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Vernole is in climate zone C, with 1,104 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 38 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Vernole has 7 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.6 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

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 7.8% of the land in Vernole, compared with 14.1% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Vernole is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 Vernole.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Vernole: 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 Vernole 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 32 inhabited census areas in Vernole. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.1%
  • fair 72.6%
  • good 26.4%

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 075093. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.