Province of Cosenza

Earthquakes in Saracena

1.4
very light
LATEST QUAKE

7 km South-East of Castrovillari

1 hour ago · 25 Aug, 08:25
Depth 10 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
Today
days since the last quake nearby
1,252
quakes recorded since 2014
~3 days
on average, one quake every
3.8
The strongest within 30 km
2 km North of San Sosti
42 months ago · 11 Mar, 11:58

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

High
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.255 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
34
In the town
total on record
6
In the town
last 12 months
73
In the area
last 12 months
M3.8
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Saracena plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 1 month ago · 3,964 inhabitants

The seismic history of Saracena

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Saracena over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2012V25 October 2012

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Pollino earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 15 km away

  2. 2006NF17 April 2006

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Costa calabra settentrionale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 86 km away

  3. 2005NF23 April 2005

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Costa calabra settentrionale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 69 km away

  4. 2004NF5 May 2004

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 179 km away

  5. 2004NF3 March 2004

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 77 km away

  6. 1996V27 April 1996

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Sila Greca earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 41 km away

  7. 1995III8 August 1995

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Piana di Sibari earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 34 km away

  8. 1990III5 May 1990

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 112 km away

  9. 1988NF13 April 1988

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 64 km away

  10. 1905VI8 September 1905

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 108 km away

  11. 1693VI-VII8 January 1693

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Pollino earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 11 km away

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.

11846.8
Valle del Crati earthquake
24 May 1184 · 42 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
17675.9
Valle del Crati earthquake
14 July 1767 · 46 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19135.6
Calabria settentrionale earthquake
28 June 1913 · 28 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18865.6
Cosentino earthquake
6 March 1886 · 49 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Pollino

The town lies about 6 km from Pollino, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.4between 1 and 10 km deep

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

August 20263eventsmax 1.4
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

1.4
1 hour ago
25 Aug, 08:25
1.1
6 km West of Morano Calabro
13 km North-West · 9 km
2 hours ago
25 Aug, 07:12
0.9
6 km South-West of Morano Calabro
9 km North-West · 8 km
16 days ago
9 Aug, 01:50
0.8
4 km North of Morano Calabro
14 km North · 7 km
27 days ago
29 Jul, 06:35
0.5
4 km North of Morano Calabro
14 km North · 8 km
27 days ago
29 Jul, 05:31
0.5
4 km North of Morano Calabro
14 km North · 8 km
27 days ago
29 Jul, 02:22
0.8
3 km North-West of San Basile
6 km North-East · 11 km
28 days ago
28 Jul, 03:23
1.8
2 km West of Mottafollone
17 km South-West · 39 km
29 days ago
27 Jul, 16:26
2.1
2 km South-West of Malvito
21 km South-West · 42 km
1 month ago
24 Jul, 01:58
1.0
3 km North-West of Saracena
3 km North-West · 8 km
1 month ago
17 Jul, 12:20

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Saracena sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 80% of the 150 towns in the province.
Saracena34
Nearby towns average61

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Cosenza41 events · 30gCalabria region94 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 078136

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Saracena?

Yes: today the Saracena area (town and surroundings) recorded 2 quakes; the most recent 1 hour ago.

Is Saracena a seismic area?

Saracena 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 Saracena?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Saracena was magnitude 3.8, in 2023.

When was the last quake near Saracena?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Saracena was 1 hour ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

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