Earthquakes in Sestri Levante
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 = 0.111 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sestri Levante plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sestri Levante
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sestri Levante over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1995V10 October 1995
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 49 km away
- 1976IV-V22 August 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 36 km away
- 1976IV-V22 August 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 36 km away · observed at Riva Trigoso
- 1972V25 October 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 42 km away · observed at Riva Trigoso
- 1972IV-V25 October 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 42 km away
- 1971IV25 September 1971
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 65 km away
- 1959IV26 January 1959
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 22 km away
- 1920VII7 September 1920
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 68 km away
- 1914IV-V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 102 km away
- 1906V10 November 1906
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 16 km away
- 1903IV-V27 July 1903
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 42 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 123 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 27 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
57 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Sestri Levante 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 Genova2 events · 30gLiguria region13 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sestri Levante?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sestri Levante area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Sestri Levante a seismic area?
Sestri Levante 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 Sestri Levante?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sestri Levante was magnitude 3.5, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Sestri Levante?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sestri Levante was 9 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)