Earthquakes in Varzo
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 = 0.115 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Varzo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Varzo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Varzo 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 104 km away
- 1993IV-V14 June 1993
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 32 km away
- 1960IV23 March 1960
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Vallese earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 20 km away
- 1901III30 October 1901
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Garda occidentale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 192 km away
- 1894III27 November 1894
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Bresciano earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 167 km away
- 1891V20 December 1891
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 9 km away
- 1887IV23 February 1887
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 262 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 Western Valais, 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?
Varzo 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 Verbano-Cusio-Ossola2 events · 30gPiedmont region34 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Varzo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varzo area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 days ago.
Is Varzo a seismic area?
Varzo 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 Varzo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varzo was magnitude 2.3, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Varzo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varzo was 1 month ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)