Earthquakes in Varese Ligure
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 = 0.153 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Varese Ligure plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Varese Ligure
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Varese Ligure over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1995IV-V10 October 1995
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 44 km away
- 1963IV19 July 1963
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 164 km away
- 1929IV19 April 1929
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bolognese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 130 km away
- 1928IV-V20 July 1928
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 15 km away
- 1928VI21 February 1928
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 8 km away
- 1927V28 October 1927
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 17 km away
- 1920VIII7 September 1920
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 59 km away · observed at Montale
- 1914IV-V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 96 km away · observed at San Pietro Vara
- 1906V10 November 1906
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 2 km away
- 1887V23 February 1887
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 137 km away
- 1861VII16 March 1861
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Varese Ligure earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 1 km away
- 1835V-VI25 April 1835
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val di Taro earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 13 km away
…and 22 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 12 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Varese Ligure 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 La Spezia0 events · 30gLiguria region11 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Varese Ligure?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varese Ligure area: the latest nearby dates back to 10 days ago.
Is Varese Ligure a seismic area?
Varese Ligure 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 Varese Ligure?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varese Ligure was magnitude 3.7, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Varese Ligure?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varese Ligure 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)