Earthquakes in Portovenere
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.107 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Portovenere plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Portovenere
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Portovenere over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996NF11 July 1996
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 15 km away
- 1995IV-V10 October 1995
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 15 km away
- 1972V25 October 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 52 km away
- 1920IV-V7 September 1920
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 38 km away · observed at Palmaria
- 1904NF10 June 1904
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Frignano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 82 km away
- 1903IV27 July 1903
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lunigiana earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 33 km away · observed at Varignano
- 1902V4 August 1902
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 36 km away · observed at Terrizzo
- 1899NF26 June 1899
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle del Bisenzio earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 102 km away
- 1898NF4 March 1898
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Parmense earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 76 km away
- 1897NF6 September 1897
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valdarno inferiore earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 72 km away
- 1887IV-V23 February 1887
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 149 km away
- 1878F10 September 1878
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lunigiana earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Palmaria
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 20 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?
Portovenere 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 Spezia1 events · 30gLiguria region9 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Portovenere?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Portovenere area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 days ago.
Is Portovenere a seismic area?
Portovenere 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 Portovenere?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Portovenere was magnitude 3.9, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Portovenere?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Portovenere was 8 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)