Villa Castelli: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Brindisi, Puglia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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: Contrada Eredita' 1, Villa Castelli.
Villa Castelli, where the Murgia uplands meet the plain
Villa Castelli is an inland town in the province of Brindisi, around two hundred and fifty metres up, in the strip where the last ridges of the Murgia limestone uplands drop towards the plain of Francavilla Fontana and Grottaglie. It is surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and fortified farmhouses called masserie, with dry-stone walls and the odd trullo, the local round stone hut with a conical roof. Martina Franca and the Itria valley lie a short way to the north-west.
The town is compact, with an older core surrounded by one- and two-storey houses built in recent decades. In the countryside there are villas and holiday homes, often used in summer, and old farm buildings waiting to be restored. Taranto and Brindisi can be reached by car, and many residents work in nearby towns. For a country property, check access, utility connections and planning permits before making an offer.
The population is holding steady. At the end of 2023 there were 8,973 residents, up 0.2% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office, while many southern towns are shrinking. The estimated average age is 44.1 against 46.7 for the province of Brindisi, and 21.6% of residents are over 65, compared with 25.1%. Foreign residents are few, at 3.0%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Earthquake hazard is the lowest in the national classification: all 20 municipalities in the province are in Civil Protection zone 4, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.056 g. In country houses, roofs, damp walls and protection from summer heat matter more.
The Murgia is limestone country, and rainwater runs off along natural channels called lame, which can flood the lowest ground during heavy storms. The report reads the official maps at the address and finds the plot on the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).
Key points
- Inland Brindisi, between the Murgia and the Francavilla plain.
- Stable, younger population: average age 44.1.
- Whole province in seismic zone 4, the lowest.
- Country homes: check access, utilities and permits.
Overview
Villa Castelli is a municipality in the province of Brindisi, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 8,973 residents, ranked 15 of 20 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Villa Castelli is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 20 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.056 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (47). 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Villa Castelli declared an average taxable income of 17,266 euros, below the provincial average (19,420 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Villa Castelli is in climate zone D, with 1,466 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 251 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Villa Castelli has 6 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).
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 12.3% of the land in Villa Castelli, compared with 10.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.4 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Villa Castelli 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 Villa Castelli.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Villa Castelli: 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 Villa Castelli 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 26 inhabited census areas in Villa Castelli. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.8%
- fair 14.8%
- good 83.3%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Puglia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- 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 074020. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.