Earthquakes in Modena
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 = 0.161 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Modena plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Modena
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Modena over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1987VI2 May 1987
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Reggiano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 20 km away
- 1983VI9 November 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 50 km away
- 1923VI28 June 1923
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Modenese earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 15 km away
- 1869VI25 June 1869
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino bolognese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 47 km away
- 1850VI18 September 1850
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Modenese earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 24 km away
- 1832VII13 March 1832
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Reggiano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 32 km away
- 1671VII20 June 1671
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Modenese-Reggiano earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 4 km away
- 1661VI-VII21 March 1661
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Modenese earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 4 km away
- 1501VII-VIII5 June 1501
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Modenese earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 21 km away
- 1399VII20 July 1399
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Appennino modenese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 30 km away
- 1249VII-VIIISeptember 1249
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Modena earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 7 km away
- 1222VII25 December 1222
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Bresciano-Veronese earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 94 km away
…and 160 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 8 km from Campegine-Correggio, 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?
Modena 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 Modena8 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region44 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Modena?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Modena area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Modena a seismic area?
Modena 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 Modena?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Modena was magnitude 4.3, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Modena?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Modena 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)