Province of Chieti

Earthquakes in Lettopalena

1.4
very light
LATEST QUAKE

5 km West of Pacentro

5 months ago · 16 Mar, 12:16
Depth 8 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
3
days since the last quake nearby
1,096
quakes recorded since 2014
~4 days
on average, one quake every
3.2
The strongest within 30 km
2 km South of Campo di Giove
111 months ago · 1 Jul, 21:12

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone1
Seismic zone 1

The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Medium
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.221 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
2
In the town
total on record
1
In the town
last 12 months
4
In the area
last 12 months
M3.2
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Lettopalena plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 11 months ago · 365 inhabitants

The seismic history of Lettopalena

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Lettopalena over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2003NF1 June 2003

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Molise earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 66 km away

  2. 2002IV-V1 November 2002

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 63 km away

  3. 1992III16 July 1992

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Chietino earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 36 km away

  4. 1992III-IV18 February 1992

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Chietino earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 44 km away

  5. 1990III5 May 1990

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 192 km away

  6. 1987NF3 July 1987

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Costa Marchigiana earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 136 km away

  7. 1984VI-VII7 May 1984

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 37 km away

  8. 1980V23 November 1980

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 158 km away

  9. 1979III19 September 1979

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 129 km away

  10. 1933VII26 September 1933

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 11 km away

  11. 1871F14 August 1871

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Chietino earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 25 km away

  12. 1706IX-X3 November 1706

    Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.

    Maiella earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 12 km away

Source: Italian Macroseismic Database DBMI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The great earthquakes in this area's history

Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.

17066.8
Maiella earthquake
3 November 1706 · 12 km from here
X-XICatastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
19335.9
Maiella earthquake
26 September 1933 · 11 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19845.9
Monti della Meta earthquake
7 May 1984 · 37 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
18745.5
Val Comino earthquake
6 December 1874 · 47 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Deep Abruzzo Citeriore Basal Thrust

The town sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.5between 8 and 18 km deep

Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

Area over time

March 20261eventmax 1.4
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

1.4
5 km West of Pacentro
18 km West · 8 km
5 months ago
16 Mar, 12:16
1.3
3 km West of Gamberale
10 km South · 24 km
10 months ago
12 Nov, 22:02
1.2
11 months ago
12 Oct, 02:26
1.4
3 km West of Lettopalena
3 km West · 15 km
11 months ago
11 Oct, 04:18
1.9
2 km South of Pescocostanzo
14 km South-West · 8 km
14 months ago
14 Jul, 14:49
1.3
6 km East of Pacentro
10 km North-West · 11 km
14 months ago
29 Jun, 14:39
1.3
5 km East of Pacentro
10 km North-West · 11 km
14 months ago
29 Jun, 01:10
1.9
6 km East of Pacentro
10 km North-West · 11 km
14 months ago
20 Jun, 22:53
1.2
5 km East of Pacentro
10 km North-West · 11 km
14 months ago
19 Jun, 23:26
1.2
3 km South-West of Palena
7 km South-West · 15 km
15 months ago
10 Jun, 20:56

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Lettopalena sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 95% of the 104 towns in the province.
Lettopalena2
Nearby towns average26

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Chieti0 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 069048

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Lettopalena?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Lettopalena area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.

Is Lettopalena a seismic area?

Lettopalena is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.

What was the strongest earthquake near Lettopalena?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Lettopalena was magnitude 3.2, in 2017.

When was the last quake near Lettopalena?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Lettopalena was 3 days ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

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