Earthquakes in Vernazza
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 = 0.114 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Vernazza plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Vernazza
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Vernazza over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1998NF26 March 1998
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 274 km away
- 1955IV13 December 1955
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 31 km away
- 1955IV11 April 1955
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria orientale earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 15 km away
- 1920VI-VII7 September 1920
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 46 km away
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 21 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?
Vernazza 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 La Spezia1 events · 30gLiguria region13 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Vernazza?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Vernazza area: the latest nearby dates back to 12 days ago.
Is Vernazza a seismic area?
Vernazza 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 Vernazza?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Vernazza was magnitude 3.9, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Vernazza?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Vernazza was 3 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)