Glossary
Salento real-estate glossary
Every term you need to read an Italian listing or cadastral record: from trulli to PPTR constraints, from OMI data to Xylella. Essential definitions in alphabetical order.
- 300m coastal strip (Galasso constraint)
- Area within 300 metres from the shoreline protected by Italian Law 431/85 (Legge Galasso). New constructions are forbidden. Only routine and extraordinary maintenance on pre-existing buildings is allowed — no shape change, no volume increase.
- Abuso edilizio (unauthorised construction)
- Construction, extension or modification carried out without a building permit (or in non-compliance with the approved project). In Italy it's a criminal offence and blocks the property deed. It can be regularised via 'accertamento di conformità' or, in specific cases, an amnesty (last one in 2003).
- Agibilità (habitability certificate)
- Certificate stating the property is safely habitable (structural, systems, hygiene). Mandatory since 1934 for residential, replaced in 2016 by the 'SCIA di agibilità'. Without agibilità the property cannot be used as a residence and cannot be financed by banks.
- APE (Energy Performance Certificate)
- Certificate ranking the property from A+ (most efficient) to G (energy-intensive). Mandatory in every sale or rental deed. 10-year validity. Class G implies high heating/cooling costs, class A+ reduces bills by 70-80%.
- IMU (Single Municipal Tax)
- Annual tax on properties other than the primary residence. Calculated as: cadastral income × 1.05 × multiplier (160 for A/2, 140 for A/3, 65 for land) × municipal rate (8.6‰-10.6‰). Expect €600-2,500/year for a typical second home in Salento.
- Lamia
- Salento rural building with a rectangular floor plan and a flat or barrel-vaulted roof, built in dry stone. Unlike the trullo (circular plan and conical roof), it was used as shelter for farm tools and occasionally as a temporary dwelling for farmers.
- Monumental olive trees
- Olive trees over 100 years old, registered and protected by Apulia Region (L.R. 14/2007). Removal is forbidden except by regional derogation. They significantly increase land value (€5,000-20,000 per plant) but constrain the intended use.
- OMI (Real Estate Market Observatory)
- Free database run by the Italian Revenue Agency. It publishes average €/m² values twice a year by homogeneous zone, property type (residential, commercial, land) and condition. Official reference for banks, surveyors and tax authorities. Available on agenziaentrate.gov.it.
- Pajara
- Rural construction of lower Salento, similar to the trullo but smaller and built with a different technique (dry-stone walls with false-dome roof). Used as temporary shelter by shepherds and farmers. Protected as landscape heritage but fragile — restoration requires specialised craftsmen.
- PPTR (Regional Landscape Territorial Plan)
- Regulatory tool of the Apulia Region (approved in 2015) governing landscape protection. Divides the territory into areas with different constraint levels. Before buying in rural or coastal areas, always verify the property's classification in the PPTR.
- PUG (General Urban Plan)
- Municipal planning tool governing land use. Determines what can be built, where and how. Replaces the old PRG. Always check before buying: a cadastral parcel can be classified as buildable in the old PUG and as agricultural in the new one.
- Rendita catastale (cadastral income)
- Fiscal value of the property assigned by the Land Registry. Basis for IMU, TARI and registration tax on second homes. NOT the market value (typically 5-15 times lower). Found in the cadastral certificate ('visura catastale').
- Sanatoria edilizia (building amnesty)
- Procedure to regularise unauthorised construction. Two flavours: 'condono' (exceptional, last in 2003) and 'accertamento di conformità' (ordinary, art. 36 DPR 380/01) for works compliant with rules both at the time of the abuse and today. Costs: €5,000-30,000 for typical residential properties.
- SCIA (Certified Notice of Activity Start)
- Notification to the Municipality to start extraordinary maintenance, light renovation or change of use. Replaces the old DIA. Filed via a qualified technician, no waiting period. Different from the Building Permit (required for new constructions).
- Sopraelevazione (vertical extension)
- Increasing the height of a building by adding one or more floors. In Apulia it's constrained: almost always forbidden in coastal areas (300m), requires landscape authorisation in historic centres, regulated by the municipal PUG in agricultural areas.
- Soprintendenza constraint
- Protection of historic-architectural heritage applied by the Soprintendenza for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape. More restrictive than the landscape constraint: every intervention (including internal structural work, façade maintenance) requires clearance. Common in Salento's historic centres.
- Trullo
- Traditional construction of the Valle d'Itria (Alberobello, Cisternino, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Ostuni) in dry stone, with a circular floor plan and a false-dome conical roof. UNESCO Heritage. Protected as historic asset — the original cone cannot be altered.
- Vincolo paesaggistico (landscape constraint)
- Protection imposed by D.lgs 42/2004 (Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape). Requires landscape authorisation for any external change (windows, plaster, extensions, photovoltaic). In Salento it covers coastal strips, historic centres, SIC/ZPS areas, monumental olive trees.
- Xylella fastidiosa
- Bacterium that has devastated Salento olive groves since 2013. Causes the 'Olive Quick Decline Syndrome' (CoDiRO). Before buying land with olive trees: request a recent phytosanitary certificate (max 6 months) and check inclusion in the infected or buffer zone.
- ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone)
- Urban area with vehicle access restricted to residents, emergency vehicles and authorised suppliers. Common in the historic centres of Lecce, Ostuni, Otranto. Affects residential convenience and the value of tourist apartments (difficult parking = mild price penalty).