Earthquakes in Castel del Monte
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?
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.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.233 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Castel del Monte plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Castel del Monte
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Castel del Monte over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2009VI6 April 2009
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Aquilano earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 21 km away
- 1997IV14 October 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 89 km away
- 1997III-IV3 October 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 104 km away
- 1997IV-V26 September 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 99 km away
- 1997IV26 September 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 100 km away
- 1991IV5 May 1991
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Aquilano earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 18 km away
- 1984V11 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 83 km away
- 1984V7 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 85 km away
- 1979IV-V19 September 1979
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 74 km away
- 1951F8 August 1951
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 24 km away
- 1950VI-VII5 September 1950
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 29 km away
- 1915D13 January 1915
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 46 km away
…and 12 more documented effects 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 lies about 13 km from Barisciano-Sulmona, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.
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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Castel del Monte 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 L'Aquila48 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Castel del Monte?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Castel del Monte area: the latest nearby dates back to 17 days ago.
Is Castel del Monte a seismic area?
Castel del Monte 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 Castel del Monte?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Castel del Monte was magnitude 3.8, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Castel del Monte?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Castel del Monte was 17 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)