Earthquakes in Bolsena
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 = 0.142 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Bolsena plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Bolsena
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Bolsena over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2000IV1 April 2000
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monte Amiata earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 32 km away
- 1997IV-V14 October 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 80 km away
- 1997IV26 September 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 83 km away
- 1994IV9 February 1994
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Val di Paglia earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 20 km away
- 1992V7 February 1992
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Volsini earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 3 km away
- 1979IV19 September 1979
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 80 km away
- 1957VI-VII6 December 1957
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 9 km away
- 1940IV16 October 1940
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Val di Paglia earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 30 km away
- 1940IV-V19 June 1940
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monte Amiata earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 33 km away
- 1919V10 September 1919
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val di Paglia earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 24 km away
- 1903V-VI21 June 1903
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lazio settentrionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 5 km away
- 1695VI11 June 1695
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lazio settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 11 km away
…and 15 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 59 km from Mugello-Citta' di Castello-Leonessa, 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?
Bolsena 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 Viterbo1 events · 30gLazio region79 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Bolsena?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bolsena area: the latest nearby dates back to 16 days ago.
Is Bolsena a seismic area?
Bolsena 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 Bolsena?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bolsena was magnitude 4.1, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Bolsena?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bolsena was 16 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)