Earthquakes in Medicina
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 = 0.181 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Medicina plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Medicina
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Medicina over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2003III7 December 2003
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Forlivese earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 56 km away
- 2003V14 September 2003
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino bolognese earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 37 km away
- 1916V17 May 1916
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Riminese earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 96 km away
- 1909VI13 January 1909
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 8 km away · observed at Sant'Antonio
- 1909V-VI13 January 1909
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 8 km away
- 1895III-IV23 March 1895
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Comacchio earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 36 km away
- 1891III-IV7 June 1891
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle d'Illasi earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 124 km away
- 1796VII22 October 1796
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Emilia orientale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 11 km away
- 1796VII22 October 1796
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Emilia orientale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 11 km away · observed at Portonovo
- 1779VI4 June 1779
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Bolognese earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 17 km away
- 1725V29 October 1725
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino tosco-emiliano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 35 km away
- 1688VI11 April 1688
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Romagna earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 25 km away
…and 12 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 14 km from Castelvetro di Modena-Castel San Pietro Terme, 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?
Medicina is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Bologna16 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Medicina?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Medicina area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Medicina a seismic area?
Medicina 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 Medicina?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Medicina was magnitude 3.0, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Medicina?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Medicina was 2 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)