Province of Varese

Earthquakes in Brissago-Valtravaglia

Low-seismicity area

No epicentres recorded in Brissago-Valtravaglia in our archive. Here is the seismicity of the area and its surroundings.

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
108
days since the last quake nearby
15
quakes recorded since 2015
~9 months
on average, one quake every
2.0
The strongest within 30 km
7 km West of Cavargna
22 months ago · 26 Aug, 03:05

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone4
Seismic zone 4

The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

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

Very 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 = 0.039 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Why the ground rarely shakes here

Brissago-Valtravaglia sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.

That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.

0
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
0
In the area
last 12 months
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Brissago-Valtravaglia plus nearby towns.

No earthquakes recorded in Brissago-Valtravaglia · 1,250 inhabitants

The seismic history of Brissago-Valtravaglia

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Brissago-Valtravaglia over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 1993NF14 June 1993

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 35 km away · observed at Brissago Valtravaglia

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.

19934.3
Val d'Ossola earthquake
14 June 1993 · 35 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
19514.3
Vallemaggia, Cevio earthquake
16 May 1951 · 42 km from here
19234.3
Ticino, Bellinzona earthquake
9 November 1923 · 36 km from here
18914.0
Val d'Ossola earthquake
20 December 1891 · 44 km from here
VRather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

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

The closest seismic structure

Western S-Alps internal thrust

The town lies about 55 km from Western S-Alps internal thrust, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 5 and 12 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

June 2026no events
Jul
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr

Earthquake map

0 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

No events in the selected period.

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Brissago-Valtravaglia is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 0% of the 138 towns in the province.
Brissago-Valtravaglia0
Nearby towns average0

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Varese0 events · 30gLombardy region2 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 012022

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Brissago-Valtravaglia?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Brissago-Valtravaglia area.

Is Brissago-Valtravaglia a seismic area?

Brissago-Valtravaglia is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

What was the strongest earthquake near Brissago-Valtravaglia?

In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Brissago-Valtravaglia was magnitude 2.0, in 2024.

When was the last quake near Brissago-Valtravaglia?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Brissago-Valtravaglia was 4 months 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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