Earthquakes in Portomaggiore
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.153 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Portomaggiore plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Portomaggiore
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Portomaggiore over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1956V-VI20 February 1956
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Argenta earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 14 km away
- 1916VI17 May 1916
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Riminese earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 97 km away
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 132 km away
- 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 18 km away
- 1898VI9 March 1898
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Romagna settentrionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 5 km away
- 1898VI16 January 1898
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Romagna settentrionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 5 km away
- 1624VII-VIII19 March 1624
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Argenta earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 6 km away
- 1624VII19 March 1624
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Argenta earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Trava
- 1570VII-VIII17 November 1570
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Ferrarese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 22 km away · observed at Gambulaga
- 1570VII17 November 1570
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Ferrarese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 22 km away · observed at Runco
- 1570VI-VII17 November 1570
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Ferrarese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 22 km away · observed at Quartiere
- 1570V-VI17 November 1570
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Ferrarese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 22 km away
…and 22 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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
45 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Portomaggiore 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 Ferrara2 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Portomaggiore?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Portomaggiore area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Portomaggiore a seismic area?
Portomaggiore is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
What was the strongest earthquake near Portomaggiore?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Portomaggiore was magnitude 3.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Portomaggiore?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Portomaggiore 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)