Province of Matera

Earthquakes today in Grottole

Today, within 30 km: no earthquakes recorded (updated at 10:53). Latest: M1.3 on 9 October 2026 at 09:15, 8 km East of Matera, 1 km deep.

1.3
very light

Latest earthquake within 30 km

8 km East of Matera

4 days ago · 9 Oct 2026, 09:15
Depth 1 km

Seismic activity within 30 km

30 km radius
4
days since the last quake within 30 km
636
quakes recorded since 2015
~7 days
on average, one quake every
3.5
The strongest within 30 km
3 km South-East of San Mauro Forte
5 years ago · 14 Aug 2021, 11:29

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

How seismic is Grottole: zone 2

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

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 = 0.157 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
20
In the town
total on record
4
In the town
last 12 months
51
Within 30 km
last 12 months
M3.5
Strongest since 2015
Within 30 km

“Within 30 km”: epicentres less than 30 km from the centre of Grottole. “In the town”: quakes whose nearest town to the epicentre is Grottole.

Latest earthquake attributed to Grottole: 15 April 2026 · 2,371 inhabitants

The seismic history of Grottole

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

  1. 1996III3 April 1996

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

    Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 77 km away

  2. 1991V-VI26 May 1991

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 46 km away

  3. 1991IV18 April 1991

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

    Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 45 km away

  4. 1990V-VI28 August 1990

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Potentino earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 38 km away

  5. 1990VI-VII5 May 1990

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

    Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 54 km away

  6. 1980VI-VII23 November 1980

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

    Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 94 km away

  7. 1978V-VI24 September 1978

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 10 km away

  8. 1956V-VI9 January 1956

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 8 km away

  9. 1930V-VI23 July 1930

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 100 km away

  10. 1887IV3 December 1887

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

    Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 121 km away

  11. 1885VI-VII24 December 1885

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

    Basilicata earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 13 km away

  12. 1857VIII16 December 1857

    Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

    Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 55 km away

…and 4 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.

12735.8
Potenza earthquake
18 December 1273 · 48 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18575.3
Basilicata earthquake
26 December 1857 · 50 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19635.2
Potentino earthquake
13 February 1963 · 49 km from here
VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
19545.2
Potentino earthquake
6 August 1954 · 50 km from here
VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Baragiano-Palagianello

The town lies about 1 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.4between 13 and 22 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).

Over time within 30 km

October 20265eventsmax 1.6
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul
Oct

Earthquake map within 30 km

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Latest earthquakes within 30 km

1.3
8 km East of Matera
29 km East · 1 km
4 days ago
9 Oct 2026, 09:15
0.8
12 km South-West of Altamura
16 km North-East · 10 km
7 days ago
6 Oct 2026, 18:22
1.6
7 days ago
6 Oct 2026, 16:01
1.5
6 km South-West of Miglionico
16 km South-East · 31 km
9 days ago
4 Oct 2026, 07:33
1.5
6 km South-West of Miglionico
16 km South-East · 31 km
9 days ago
4 Oct 2026, 07:33
1.4
14 days ago
29 Sept 2026, 18:25
0.1
7 km South of Poggiorsini
26 km North-West · 9 km
1 month ago
8 Sept 2026, 03:13
2.1
5 km West of San Mauro Forte
22 km South-West · 30 km
1 month ago
5 Sept 2026, 12:20
1.7
6 km East of San Mauro Forte
18 km South · 40 km
2 months ago
12 Aug 2026, 18:00
1.2
5 km South-West of Tricarico
21 km West · 35 km
2 months ago
12 Aug 2026, 00:17

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Grottole records more quakes than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 77% of the 31 towns in the province.
Grottole20
Nearby towns average44

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

Context

Province of Matera3 events · last 30 daysBasilicata region30 events · last 30 days
ISTAT code: 077012

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes near Grottole today?

No, no quakes were recorded today within 30 km of Grottole. The latest dates back to 9 October 2026.

Is Grottole a seismic area?

Grottole 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 Grottole?

In the INGV catalogue since 2015, the strongest earthquake within 30 km of Grottole was magnitude 3.5, on 14 August 2021.

When was the last quake near Grottole?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Grottole dates back to 9 October 2026, magnitude 1.3.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Sources:INGV earthquake catalogueDBMI15 macroseismic historyCivil Protection seismic classification

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