Earthquakes in Varzi
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 = 0.098 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Varzi plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Varzi
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Varzi over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1945VI15 December 1945
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 7 km away
- 1945VII29 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away
- 1945VII29 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Sagliano
- 1945VII29 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Cella
- 1945VII29 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Ranzi
- 1945VII29 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Rosara
- 1945D29 June 1945
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Nivione
- 1945VI-VII14 June 1945
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 5 km away
- 1882V-VI15 February 1882
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val Borbera earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 21 km away
- 1828VII9 October 1828
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 13 km away
- 1828VI-VII9 October 1828
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Sagliano
- 1828VI-VII9 October 1828
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Nivione
…and 16 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 11 km from Rivanazzano-Stradella, 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
27 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Varzi 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 Pavia0 events · 30gLombardy region11 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Varzi?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varzi area: the latest nearby dates back to 16 months ago.
Is Varzi a seismic area?
Varzi 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 Varzi?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varzi was magnitude 4.0, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Varzi?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varzi was 2 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)