Province of La Spezia

Earthquakes in Rocchetta di Vara

0.6
very light
LATEST QUAKE

2 km East of Santo Stefano di Magra

12 days ago · 13 Aug, 09:30
Depth 10 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
1
days since the last quake nearby
596
quakes recorded since 2014
~7 days
on average, one quake every
3.9
The strongest within 30 km
1 km North-East of Fosdinovo
5 months ago · 25 Mar, 08:13

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Low
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.144 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
4
In the town
total on record
1
In the town
last 12 months
9
In the area
last 12 months
M3.7
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Rocchetta di Vara plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 5 months ago · 785 inhabitants

The seismic history of Rocchetta di Vara

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Rocchetta di Vara over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2005NF18 April 2005

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 64 km away

  2. 1996NF11 July 1996

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Lunigiana earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 16 km away

  3. 1995IV10 October 1995

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away

  4. 1983III-IV9 November 1983

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 69 km away

  5. 1920VII-VIII7 September 1920

    Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 40 km away · observed at Veppo

  6. 1920VII7 September 1920

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 40 km away · observed at Stadomelli

  7. 1920VI-VII7 September 1920

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 40 km away · observed at Garbugliaga

  8. 1920V7 September 1920

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 40 km away

  9. 1834VI-VII14 February 1834

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Val di Taro-Lunigiana earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 22 km away · observed at Veppo

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.

19206.5
Garfagnana earthquake
7 September 1920 · 40 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
18346.0
Val di Taro-Lunigiana earthquake
14 February 1834 · 22 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18375.9
Lunigiana earthquake
11 April 1837 · 33 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
19205.6
Garfagnana earthquake
6 September 1920 · 40 km from here

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Lunigiana

The town lies about 9 km from Lunigiana, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.0between 1 and 10 km deep

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

August 20261eventmax 0.6
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

0.6
2 km East of Santo Stefano di Magra
16 km South-East · 10 km
12 days ago
13 Aug, 09:30
1.8
3 months ago
13 May, 16:20
1.4
4 km North-East of Sesta Godano
10 km North-West · 14 km
5 months ago
5 Apr, 08:51
2.6
5 months ago
27 Mar, 02:19
1.2
1 km North of Santo Stefano di Magra
15 km South-East · 8 km
8 months ago
28 Dec, 12:42
1.7
9 months ago
1 Dec, 03:25
2.3
4 km North-West of Zeri
15 km North · 10 km
11 months ago
2 Oct, 18:23
1.4
5 km East of Zeri
11 km North-East · 9 km
11 months ago
2 Oct, 00:32
2.6
12 months ago
5 Sept, 03:51
1.4
1 km North of Santo Stefano di Magra
15 km South-East · 11 km
13 months ago
9 Aug, 08:44

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Rocchetta di Vara records more quakes than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 74% of the 32 towns in the province.
Rocchetta di Vara4
Nearby towns average11

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 region13 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 011025

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Rocchetta di Vara?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Rocchetta di Vara area: the latest nearby dates back to 12 days ago.

Is Rocchetta di Vara a seismic area?

Rocchetta di Vara 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 Rocchetta di Vara?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Rocchetta di Vara was magnitude 3.9, in 2026.

When was the last quake near Rocchetta di Vara?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Rocchetta di Vara was 2 days ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

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