Province of Biella

Earthquakes in Villanova Biellese

Low-seismicity area

No epicentres recorded in Villanova Biellese in our archive. Here is the seismicity of the area and its surroundings.

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
84
days since the last quake nearby
6
quakes recorded since 2014
~1.9 years
on average, one quake every
1.9
The strongest within 30 km
3 km North-East of Greggio
3 months ago · 1 Jun, 21:45

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 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 = 0.038 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Why the ground rarely shakes here

Villanova Biellese 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 Villanova Biellese plus nearby towns.

No earthquakes recorded in Villanova Biellese · 190 inhabitants

The seismic history of Villanova Biellese

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

  1. 2005NF8 September 2005

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Massif du Mont-Blanc earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 120 km away

  2. 1887III-IV23 February 1887

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 177 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.

18925.0
Valle d'Aosta earthquake
5 March 1892 · 33 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19684.9
Valle d'Aosta earthquake
18 June 1968 · 41 km from here
VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
19124.7
Canavese earthquake
31 May 1912 · 34 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
19364.5
Biellese earthquake
17 October 1936 · 15 km from here
VI-VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Western Monferrato

The town lies about 32 km from Western Monferrato, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.4between 1 and 8 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 2026no events
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

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?

Villanova Biellese is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 0% of the 74 towns in the province.
Villanova Biellese0
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 Biella0 events · 30gPiedmont region34 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 096079

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Villanova Biellese?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Villanova Biellese area.

Is Villanova Biellese a seismic area?

Villanova Biellese 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 Villanova Biellese?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Villanova Biellese was magnitude 1.9, in 2026.

When was the last quake near Villanova Biellese?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Villanova Biellese was 3 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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