Earthquakes in Pignola
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 = 0.227 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Pignola plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pignola
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pignola over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1998V-VI26 April 1998
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 8 km away
- 1996IV-V3 April 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 30 km away
- 1991VI26 May 1991
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 13 km away
- 1990IV-V26 August 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 13 km away
- 1990VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 19 km away
- 1986V23 July 1986
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 7 km away
- 1983V2 February 1983
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 13 km away
- 1981V24 September 1981
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 6 km away
- 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 52 km away
- 1857IX16 December 1857
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 25 km away
- 1694VII8 September 1694
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 45 km away
- 1561IX19 August 1561
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Vallo di Diano earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 24 km away
…and 16 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 12 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?
Pignola sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
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 Pignola?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pignola area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Pignola a seismic area?
Pignola 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 Pignola?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pignola was magnitude 4.2, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Pignola?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pignola 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)