This is a list of earthquakes in Italy that had epicentres in Italy, or significantly affected the country. The highest seismicity hazard in Italy was concentrated in the central-southern part of the peninsula, along the Apennine ridge, in Calabria and Sicily and in some northern areas, like Friuli, part of Veneto and western Liguria.
Italy lies on the southern extent of the Eurasian Plate, which is surrounded by the Aegean Sea Plate, the Adriatic Plate, and the Anatolian Plate. The Apennine Mountains contain numerous faults that run along the entire Italian peninsula and form the majority of the destructive boundary between the Eurasian and the Adriatic plates, thus causing Italy to have high amounts of tectonic activity. In addition, Sicily and Calabria are located near the boundary where the African plate is subducting below the Eurasian plate, which was responsible for forming the stratovolcano known as Mount Etna.
Date | Region | Mag. | MMI | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-11-09 | Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro-Urbino) | 5.6 Mw | VI | Sequence / buildings slightly damaged | [1][2][3][4][5][6] | ||
2022-09-22 | Genoa | 4.0 Mw | III–IV | Buildings slightly damaged | [7][8][9][10][11] | ||
2018-12-26 | Sicily | 5.0 Mw | VII | 30 | Several buildings damaged | [12][13] | |
2018-08-16 | Molise | 5.3 Mw | VI | 2 | Moderate damage | [14][15] | |
2017-08-21 | Campania | 4.2 Mw | VI | 2 | 42 | ||
2017-01-18 | Abruzzo, Lazio | 5.7 Mw | VIII | 34 | 29 | Sequence | |
2016-10-30 | Umbria | 6.6 Mw | XI | 3 (indirect) | Dozens | Sequence / extensive damage | |
2016-08-24 | Lazio, Umbria, Marche | 6.2 Mw | XI | 299 | >400 | ||
2013-06-21 | Tuscany | 5.2 Mw | V | 4 | [16][17] | ||
2013-02-16 | Lazio | 4.8 Mw | V | 1 (indirect) | [18][19] | ||
2012-05-29 | Emilia-Romagna | 5.8 Mw | VII | 20 | 350 | ||
2012-05-20 | Emilia-Romagna | 6.1 Mw | VII | 5 (+2 indirect) | 50 | ||
2010-08-16 | Sicily | 4.5 Mw | 7 | Landslides | [20][21] | ||
2009-04-06 | L'Aquila | 6.3 Mw | X | 309 | 1,500+ | Severe damage | |
2004-11-24 | Lombardy, Salò | 5.1 Mw | VII–VIII * | 9 | Many buildings damaged | [22] | |
2003-09-14 | Emilia-Romagna | 5.3 Mw | VII | Some | 10 buildings damaged | [23] | |
2003-04-11 | Piedmont, Alessandria | 5.0 Mb | VI * | 2 | [24] | ||
2003-01-26 | Emilia-Romagna | 4.7 Mb | VII | Buildings damaged | [25] | ||
2002-11-01 | Molise | 5.8 Mw | 3 | Doublet / additional damage | [26] | ||
2002-10-31 | Molise | 5.9 | 30 | Doublet | |||
2002-09-06 | Sicily | 6.0 Mw | 2 | 20 | Heart attacks / damage | [27] | |
2001-11-26 | Tuscany, Arezzo | 4.6 Mb | V–VI * | Buildings damaged | [28] | ||
2001-07-17 | Trentino-Alto Adige | 4.7 Mw | VI * | 3 | 3 | Landslides | [29] |
2000-08-21 | Piedmont, Asti | 4.9 Mw | VI * | Buildings damaged | [30] | ||
1998-09-09 | Basilicata, Calabria | 5.6 Mw | VI–VII * | 2 | 12 | Buildings damaged | [31] |
1997-09-26 | Umbria, Marche | 6.1 | 9 | Doublet | |||
1997-09-26 | Umbria, Foligno | 5.7 | 2 | Doublet | |||
1997-05-12 | Umbria, Massa Martana | 4.4 Mb | VI * | Some damage | [32] | ||
1991-05-26 | Basilicata, Potenza | 5.1 Mb | VIII | A few | Minor damage | [33] | |
1990-12-13 | Sicily, Augusta | 5.6 Mw | VII | 19 | 200 | Severe damage | [34] |
1990-05-05 | Basilicata, Campania | 5.8 Mw | VII | 2 | 16 | [35] | |
1987-07-03 | Marche, Porto San Giorgio | 5.1 Mb | VII | Damage | [36] | ||
1987-05-02 | Emilia-Romagna | 4.8 Mb | VII | 1 | Several | Slight damage | [37] |
1985-03-14 | Molise | 4.3 Mw | V | 1 | Slight damage | [38] | |
1984-05-07 | Abruzzo, Lazio | 5.9 Mw | VIII | 3 | 100 | Extensive damage | [39] |
1984-04-29 | Umbria, Gubbio | 5.7 Mw | VIII | 36 | Extensive damage | [40] | |
1983-11-09 | Emilia-Romagna | 5.1 Mw | VIII | 100 | Some damage | [41] | |
1982-03-21 | Basilicata, Maratea | 4.8 Mb | VI | Damage | [42] | ||
1980-11-23 | Campania, Basilicata | 6.9 Mw | X | 2,483–4,900 | 7,700–8,934 | Extreme damage | |
1979-09-19 | Umbria, Norcia | 5.8 Ms | 5 | 5,000 | Severe damage | NGDC | |
1978-04-15 | Gulf of Patti, Sicily | 5.7 Ms | 5 | Moderate damage | NGDC | ||
1978-03-11 | Sicily | 5.0 Ms | 2 | 2 | Moderate damage | NGDC | |
1976-09-15 | Friuli | 5.9/6.0 | 8 (+3 indirect) | Aftershock | |||
1976-09-11 | Friuli | 5.8/5.6 | 2 (indirect) | Aftershock | |||
1976-05-06 | Friuli | 6.5 Mw | X | 900–978 | 1,700–2,400 | Extreme damage | |
1972-06-14 | Ancona | 4.9 | IX | Extensive damage / swarm | [43] | ||
1972-02-04 | Ancona | 4.4 | VIII | Extensive damage / swarm | [43] | ||
1971-07-15 | Emilia-Romagna | 5.2 Mb | VIII * | 2 | Limited damage | NGDC | |
1971-02-06 | Lazio | 4.6 Mb | VIII | 24 | 150 | Extreme damage | NGDC |
1969-08-11 | Perugia | 4.7 Ms | VII | 4 | Limited damage | NGDC | |
1968-01-15 | Western Sicily | 5.5 Mw | X | 231–400 | 632–1,000 | Sequence | |
1962-08-21 | Irpinia, Campania | 6.1 | IX * | 16 | Moderate damage | ||
1943-10-03 | Offida, Marche | 5.5 Mw | IX | 15 | Very heavy damage | [44] | |
1936-10-18 | Cansiglio | 5.9 ML | IX | 19 | |||
1933-09-26 | Abruzzo | 5.6 Mw | IX | 10 | Some damage | [45][46] | |
1930-10-30 | Senigallia, Marche | 5.9 | 18 | ||||
1930-07-23 | Irpinia | 6.6 Ms | X | 1,404 | 4,624–7,000 | ||
1920-09-07 | Garfagnana | 6.4 | 171 | [47] | |||
1917-04-26 | Northern Umbria | 5.8 | 20 | ||||
1915-01-13 | Avezzano | 6.7 Mw | XI | 29,978–32,610 | Extreme damage | ||
1914-05-08 | Sicily | 4.9 Ms | X | 120 | Severe damage | NGDC | |
1908-12-28 | Strait of Messina | 7.1 Mw | XI | 75,000–200,000 | Extreme damage / tsunami | ||
1907-10-23 | Calabria | 5.9 Ms | VIII–X | 158–167 | Moderate damage | NGDC | |
1905-09-08 | Calabria | 7.2 Mw | XI | 557–2,500 | Tsunami | ||
1901-10-30 | Salò | 5.5 Mw | VII–VIII | Collapsed buildings | [48] | ||
1883-07-28 | Ischia | 4.3–5.2 Mw | XI | 2,313 | Near total destruction on in Ischia | ||
1887-02-23 | Liguria | 6.2–6.5 | >2,000 | Significant damage / tsunami | [49][50] | ||
1873-06-29 | Veneto | 6.3 Me | IX–X | 80 | |||
1857-12-16 | Basilicata | 7.0 Mw | XI | 10,000 | Extreme damage | ||
1851-08-14 | Basilicata | 700–2,000+ | Many buildings damaged | [51][52] | |||
1805-07-26 | Campania, Molise | 6.6 Me | X | 5,573 | Extreme damage | ||
1802-05-12 | Lombardy, Cremona | 5.7 Mw | VIII-IX | 2 | Collapsed churches, houses, and a municipal building | [53][54][55] | |
1783-02-04 | Calabria | 7.0 | 50,000 | [47] | |||
1762-10-06 | L'Aquila | 5.3–6.0 Mw | IX | Damage | [56] | ||
1743-02-20 | Salento | 7.1 Mw | IX | 180–300 | |||
1732-11-29 | Campania | 6.6 | Thousands | [57] | |||
1706-11-03 | Abruzzo | 6.6-6.84 Mw | X | 2,400 | Extreme damage | ||
1703-02-12 | L'Aquila | 6.7 | XI | 2,500–5,000 | |||
1703-01-16 | Montereale | 6.2 | VIII | ||||
1703-01-14 | Norcia | 6.7 | X | 6,240–9,761 | |||
1694-09-08 | Basilicata | 6.9 | >6,000 | ||||
1693-01-11 | Sicily, Malta | 7.4 Mw | XI | 60,000 | |||
1688-06-05 | Sannio | 7.0 | XI | 3,311 | Severe damage | NGDC | |
1659-11-06 | Calabria | 2,035 | Extreme damage | NGDC | |||
1654-07-23 | Sorano, Marsica | X | 600 | Severe damage | NGDC | ||
1639-10-07 | Lazio | 6.0 Mw | IX–X | 500 | |||
1638-06-09 | Calabria | IX | 52 | Moderate damage | |||
1638-03-27 | Calabria | 7.0 Ms | XI | 9,581–30,000 | Extreme damage / tsunami | [58] | |
1627-07-30 | Apulia | 6.7 Mw | X | 5,000 | Tsunami | ||
1626-07-30 | Naples | 70,000 | |||||
1626-04-05 | Girifalco | 6.1 Mw | X | Very heavy damage | |||
1616-06-04 | Cagliari | No casualties or damage reported. Registeted on a plaque in the city's cathedral | |||||
1570-11-17 | Ferrara | 70–200 | |||||
1511-03-26 | Friuli | X | 15 | Severe damage | |||
1461-11-27 | L'Aquila | 6.3 | IX | >80 | High intensity over Abruzzo region | ||
1456-12-30 | Benevento | 6.6 Mw | X–XI | Sequence | |||
1456-12-05 | Molise | 7.1–7.4 Mw | X–XI | 30,000–70,000 | High intensity over large area. Largest earthquake on the Italian Peninsula. | [59] | |
1349-09-09 | L'Aquila | 6.7 | X | 2,000 | Severe damage | NGDC | |
1348-01-25 | Friuli | 6.9 | X | 10,000 | Extreme damage | ||
1343-11-25 | Naples | Tsunami | |||||
1222-12-25 | Northern Italy | X | 12,000 | Extreme damage | |||
1169-02-04 | Sicily | X | 15,000–25,000 | Severe damage / tsunami | |||
1117-01-03 | Italy, Germany | VII | Severe damage | ||||
62-02-05 | Campania | 5.2–6.1 | IX–X | Severe damage | |||
Note: The NGDC has records for significant events that go back several thousand years BCE. Added for source diversity, the United States Geological Survey reports are sufficient from the early 1980s to the present. Occasionally, these sources omit the maximum felt intensity. Rovida et al. 2011 can help fill in some of the gaps. Intensity values derived from this source are indicated with an asterisk. The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. |