Property for Sale in Penne, Abruzzo
Penne is a historic hill town in the Province of Pescara, set on hills between the Adriatic coast and the Gran Sasso massif. It is a good place to look for an affordable town house or a country home with land within reach of both the sea and the mountains.
The Historic Centre
Penne is built largely of brick, which gives the old town its warm colour, and spreads over several hilltops linked by steep lanes and stairways. The centre has the cathedral of San Massimo, a number of churches and convents, and noble palazzi from the town’s long history as a bishop’s seat and market centre for the Vestini area.
The town is lived in all year, with shops, offices and schools serving the surrounding villages, and its streets are busy on market days.
The Countryside and Nearby Towns
The land around Penne is a patchwork of olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields, with the Gran Sasso visible to the west. Just below the town, the Lago di Penne nature reserve protects a reservoir and its wetlands. The area is known for its olive oil, sold under the Aprutino Pescarese name.
Neighbouring Loreto Aprutino, another olive-growing hill town, lies towards the coast, while Farindola, known for its pecorino cheese, and Montebello di Bertona are higher up towards the mountains. Civitella Casanova is to the south.
Property for Sale in Penne
Houses make up most of the listings, both in the town and in the countryside, alongside apartments, town houses, a couple of villas and a plot of land. Prices are low: many homes are below €50,000, most are below €150,000, and even the larger country houses with land rarely go far beyond that, with the most expensive at around €500,000. Cheaper properties usually need renovation.
Everyday Life and Getting There
Penne has supermarkets, a hospital, schools and a weekly market, so it works well as a year-round home. The beaches around Pescara and Montesilvano are a short drive away, and the ski areas and walking country of the Gran Sasso are within reach in the other direction.
Abruzzo Airport at Pescara is the nearest, with flights to several European cities, and Rome’s airports can be reached by the A25 and A24 motorways across the Apennines. The A14 motorway runs along the coast, and Pescara has the nearest main-line railway station. A car is essential.
Buying in Penne
Abruzzo is one of Italy’s more seismic regions, so ask about the structural condition of any older brick or stone house, whether it has had strengthening work, and whether public grants for repairs have been used on the building. Renovation projects should be costed carefully before you make an offer, including roof, damp and services.
Country houses may rely on septic tanks and private access roads, and higher ground can see snow in winter. Get a geometra to check that the floor plan lodged with the land registry matches the house as it stands, and that any extensions have been regularised.