Earthquakes in Pievepelago
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 = 0.204 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Pievepelago plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pievepelago
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pievepelago over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1988V-VI8 February 1988
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 16 km away
- 1988V8 February 1988
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Frignano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 4 km away
- 1987V10 February 1987
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 33 km away
- 1985V23 January 1985
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Garfagnana earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 15 km away
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Sant'Andrea Pelago
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Sant'Anna Pelago
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Roccapelago
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Tagliole
- 1920VII7 September 1920
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Piella
- 1904VI10 June 1904
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Frignano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 20 km away
- 1902VI5 March 1902
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 14 km away
…and 31 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 5 km from Garfagnana, 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?
Pievepelago sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
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 region45 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Pievepelago?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pievepelago area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Pievepelago a seismic area?
Pievepelago 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 Pievepelago?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pievepelago was magnitude 3.9, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Pievepelago?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pievepelago was 5 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)