Earthquakes in Catanzaro
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 = 0.249 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Catanzaro plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Catanzaro
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Catanzaro over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1947VII11 May 1947
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 28 km away
- 1832VIII-IX8 March 1832
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Crotonese earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 35 km away
- 1832VII-VIII8 March 1832
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Crotonese earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 35 km away · observed at Gagliano
- 1821VII-VIII2 August 1821
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 14 km away
- 1783VIII28 March 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 17 km away · observed at Catanzaro Marina
- 1783VIII28 March 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 17 km away
- 1783VIII28 March 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 17 km away · observed at Gagliano
- 1744VIII21 March 1744
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sila Piccola earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 23 km away
- 1659VIII5 November 1659
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.6), epicentre 38 km away
- 1638VIII-IX8 June 1638
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Crotonese earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 47 km away
- 1638VII-VIII27 March 1638
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 32 km away
- 1626VII-VIII4 April 1626
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 13 km away
…and 83 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 2 km from Caraffa-Squillace Gulf, 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?
Catanzaro 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 Catanzaro12 events · 30gCalabria region94 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Catanzaro?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Catanzaro area: the latest nearby dates back to 13 days ago.
Is Catanzaro a seismic area?
Catanzaro 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 Catanzaro?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Catanzaro was magnitude 4.3, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Catanzaro?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Catanzaro 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)