Earthquakes in Bella
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 = 0.218 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Bella plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Bella
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Bella over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2004V3 September 2004
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 8 km away
- 1996V3 April 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 16 km away
- 1991V-VI26 May 1991
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 19 km away
- 1990VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 11 km away
- 1980VIII23 November 1980
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 29 km away
- 1962V21 August 1962
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.2), epicentre 77 km away
- 1930VII23 July 1930
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 43 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 23 km away
- 1857VII16 December 1857
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 48 km away
- 1851VI14 August 1851
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Vulture earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 24 km away
- 1694X8 September 1694
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 21 km away
- 1561VII-VIII19 August 1561
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Vallo di Diano earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 22 km away
…and 26 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 5 km from Andretta-Filano, 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?
Bella 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 Potenza26 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Bella?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bella area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 days ago.
Is Bella a seismic area?
Bella 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 Bella?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bella was magnitude 4.2, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Bella?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bella was 6 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)