Earthquakes in Rome
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 = 0.079 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Rome plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Rome
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Rome over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1927VI26 December 1927
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Colli Albani earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 36 km away · observed at Roma
- 1915VI-VII13 January 1915
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 102 km away · observed at Roma
- 1909VI31 August 1909
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Roma earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Sant'Onofrio
- 1899VI-VII19 July 1899
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Colli Albani earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 31 km away · observed at Roma
- 1895VI-VII1 November 1895
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Campagna romana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Castel Romano
- 1895D1 November 1895
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Campagna romana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Tor dei Cenci
- 1895VI1 November 1895
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Campagna romana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Castel di Decima
- 1812VI-VII22 March 1812
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Campagna romana earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 15 km away · observed at Roma
- 1703VII2 February 1703
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Aquilano earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 104 km away · observed at Roma
- 1703VII14 January 1703
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valnerina earthquake (M6.9), epicentre 115 km away · observed at Roma
- 1349VII-VIII9 September 1349
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Appennino laziale-abruzzese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 82 km away · observed at Roma
- 1091VII27 January 1091
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Roma earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 15 km away · observed at Roma
…and 263 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 33 km from Castelli Romani, 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?
Rome is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Roma0 events · 30gLazio region80 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Rome?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Rome area: the latest nearby dates back to 3 months ago.
Is Rome a seismic area?
Rome 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 Rome?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Rome was magnitude 3.3, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Rome?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Rome was 5 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)