Earthquakes in Sarzana
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 = 0.134 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sarzana plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sarzana
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sarzana over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996IV-V11 July 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 7 km away
- 1995V-VI10 October 1995
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 2 km away
- 1972V25 October 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 47 km away
- 1969IV-V6 January 1969
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino pistoiese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 60 km away
- 1955V11 April 1955
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria orientale earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 9 km away
- 1939V-VI31 October 1939
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 8 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 26 km away
- 1914VI27 October 1914
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 53 km away
- 1902V4 August 1902
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 24 km away
- 1878VI10 September 1878
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Lunigiana earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 14 km away
- 1873V-VI17 September 1873
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino tosco-ligure earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 18 km away
- 1834V14 February 1834
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val di Taro-Lunigiana earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 39 km away
…and 30 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 7 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?
Sarzana 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 region13 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sarzana?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sarzana area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 days ago.
Is Sarzana a seismic area?
Sarzana 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 Sarzana?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sarzana was magnitude 3.9, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Sarzana?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sarzana 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)