Earthquakes in Varsi
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 = 0.170 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Varsi plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Varsi
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Varsi over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005III18 April 2005
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 40 km away
- 2005NF13 April 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 41 km away
- 2000NF18 June 2000
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Pianura emiliana earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 73 km away
- 1998NF26 March 1998
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 290 km away
- 1995III10 October 1995
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 61 km away
- 1989IV3 October 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino parmense earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 27 km away
- 1985IV8 August 1985
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino parmense earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 17 km away
- 1983IV9 November 1983
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 35 km away
- 1974IV15 April 1974
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 12 km away
- 1951V15 May 1951
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lodigiano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 67 km away · observed at Golaso
- 1886III15 October 1886
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Collecchio earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 38 km away
- 1834V14 February 1834
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val di Taro-Lunigiana earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 24 km away
…and 2 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 9 km from San Giorgio Piacentino-Fornovo di Taro, 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?
Varsi is quieter 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 Parma6 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Varsi?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varsi area: the latest nearby dates back to 25 days ago.
Is Varsi a seismic area?
Varsi 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 Varsi?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varsi was magnitude 4.4, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Varsi?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varsi was 25 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)