Earthquakes in Montescaglioso
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 = 0.135 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Montescaglioso plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Montescaglioso
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Montescaglioso over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996III3 April 1996
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 104 km away
- 1991IV-V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 75 km away
- 1991IV-V18 April 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 15 km away
- 1990V-VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 83 km away
- 1978V-VI24 September 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away
- 1975IV-V19 June 1975
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Gargano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 157 km away
- 1956VI9 January 1956
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 27 km away
- 1910IV-V3 October 1910
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Basilicata meridionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 49 km away
- 1910IV7 June 1910
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 114 km away
- 1908IV-V26 March 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Materano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 21 km away
- 1905V-VI8 September 1905
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 195 km away
- 1857VII-VIII16 December 1857
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 71 km away
…and 10 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 17 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, 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?
Montescaglioso is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Matera5 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Montescaglioso?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Montescaglioso area: the latest nearby dates back to 13 days ago.
Is Montescaglioso a seismic area?
Montescaglioso 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 Montescaglioso?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Montescaglioso was magnitude 3.5, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Montescaglioso?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Montescaglioso was 13 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)