Earthquakes in Balvano
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 = 0.257 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Balvano plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Balvano
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Balvano over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996V-VI3 April 1996
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 6 km away
- 1990VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 21 km away
- 1980VI3 December 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 8 km away
- 1980IX23 November 1980
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 28 km away
- 1923VI8 November 1923
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino campano-lucano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 6 km away
- 1910VII7 June 1910
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 28 km away
- 1857VIII16 December 1857
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 44 km away
- 1826VII1 February 1826
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 24 km away
- 1694IX8 September 1694
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 24 km away
- 1561IX-X19 August 1561
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Vallo di Diano earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 11 km away
- 1561IX31 July 1561
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Vallo di Diano earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 11 km away
- 1466VIII15 January 1466
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 19 km away
…and 35 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 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Balvano records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Potenza26 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Balvano?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Balvano area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Balvano a seismic area?
Balvano 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 Balvano?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Balvano was magnitude 4.2, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Balvano?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Balvano was 4 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)