Earthquakes in Salerno
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 = 0.105 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Salerno plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Salerno
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Salerno over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1980VII23 November 1980
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 45 km away
- 1962VI-VII21 August 1962
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.2), epicentre 63 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 62 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 96 km away
- 1853VI-VII9 April 1853
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 39 km away
- 1805VI26 July 1805
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Molise earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 95 km away
- 1732VI-VII29 November 1732
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 48 km away
- 1714VI-VIIAugust 1714
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Salernitano earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 3 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 55 km away
- 1688VI5 June 1688
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sannio earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 70 km away
- 1561VII-VIII31 July 1561
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Penisola sorrentina earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 7 km away
- 1456VI-VII5 December 1456
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Appennino centro-meridionale earthquake (M7.2), epicentre 70 km away
…and 40 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 35 km from Irpinia-Agri Valley, 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
4 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Salerno is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Salerno9 events · 30gCampania region129 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Salerno?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Salerno area: the latest nearby dates back to 49 months ago.
Is Salerno a seismic area?
Salerno 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 Salerno?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Salerno was magnitude 3.6, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Salerno?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Salerno was 26 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)