Earthquakes in Villa Santa Maria
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.
How seismic is this area?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.140 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Villa Santa Maria plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Villa Santa Maria
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Villa Santa Maria over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2006NF29 May 2006
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Gargano earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 130 km away
- 2005III1 March 2005
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Molise earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 54 km away
- 2003NF1 June 2003
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Molise earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 51 km away
- 2002III12 November 2002
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Molise earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 47 km away
- 2002IV-V1 November 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 48 km away
- 1990NF5 May 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 179 km away
- 1987NF3 July 1987
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Costa Marchigiana earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 142 km away
- 1984VI11 May 1984
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 55 km away
- 1984VI7 May 1984
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 41 km away
- 1979IV19 September 1979
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 143 km away
- 1933VI-VII26 September 1933
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 25 km away
- 1907NF23 January 1907
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 122 km away
…and one more documented effect in this town's history.
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.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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
Earthquake map
8 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Villa Santa Maria is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
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 · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Villa Santa Maria?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Villa Santa Maria area: the latest nearby dates back to 32 months ago.
Is Villa Santa Maria a seismic area?
Villa Santa Maria is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Villa Santa Maria?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Villa Santa Maria was magnitude 3.2, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Villa Santa Maria?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Villa Santa Maria 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)