Earthquakes in Montanaro
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?
The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
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 = 0.042 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Montanaro 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.
The “area” is Montanaro plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Montanaro
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Montanaro over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005NF8 September 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Massif du Mont-Blanc earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 117 km away
- 1990IV11 February 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Torinese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 42 km away
- 1980IV5 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Torinese earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 48 km away
- 1887V23 February 1887
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 150 km away
- 1886IV5 September 1886
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Torinese earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 48 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 7 km from Western Piemonte, 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
8 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Montanaro is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Torino12 events · 30gPiedmont region34 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Montanaro?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Montanaro area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 months ago.
Is Montanaro a seismic area?
Montanaro 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 Montanaro?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Montanaro was magnitude 2.7, in 2024.
When was the last quake near Montanaro?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Montanaro was 7 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)