Earthquakes in Brienza
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 = 0.241 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Brienza plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Brienza
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Brienza over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002IV-V18 April 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino lucano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 12 km away
- 1996IV-V3 April 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 24 km away
- 1991V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 29 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 31 km away
- 1988V-VI12 January 1988
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Cilento earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 23 km away
- 1983V2 February 1983
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 18 km away
- 1980VIII23 November 1980
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 48 km away
- 1910V-VI7 June 1910
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 49 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 189 km away
- 1905VI-VII29 June 1905
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Brienza earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 5 km away
- 1857X16 December 1857
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 25 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 11 km away
…and 28 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?
Brienza 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 Brienza?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Brienza area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Brienza a seismic area?
Brienza 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 Brienza?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Brienza was magnitude 4.2, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Brienza?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Brienza 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)