Earthquakes in Rapallo
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 = 0.088 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Rapallo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Rapallo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Rapallo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001IV-V6 February 2001
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 56 km away
- 1976IV-V22 August 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 46 km away
- 1972IV-V25 October 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 54 km away
- 1971IV25 September 1971
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 53 km away
- 1951IV15 May 1951
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lodigiano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 102 km away
- 1927IV28 October 1927
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 35 km away
- 1924V21 September 1924
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Genovese earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 18 km away · observed at San Pietro di Novella
- 1920IV-V7 September 1920
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 87 km away · observed at San Pietro di Novella
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 121 km away
- 1908F9 May 1908
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Chiavari earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 8 km away
- 1898IV4 March 1898
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 89 km away
- 1887VI23 February 1887
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 111 km away
…and 16 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 36 km from Lunigiana, 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
32 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Rapallo 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 Genova2 events · 30gLiguria region13 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Rapallo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Rapallo area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Rapallo a seismic area?
Rapallo 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 Rapallo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Rapallo was magnitude 4.0, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Rapallo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Rapallo was 10 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)