Earthquakes in Varallo
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 = 0.049 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Varallo 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 Varallo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Varallo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Varallo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1993IV-V14 June 1993
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 15 km away
- 1983III-IV9 November 1983
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 197 km away
- 1960V23 March 1960
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Vallese earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 63 km away
- 1960V23 March 1960
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Vallese earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 63 km away · observed at Camasco
- 1951V15 May 1951
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lodigiano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 125 km away
- 1918III-IV13 January 1918
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pianura lombarda earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 61 km away
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 281 km away
- 1914V26 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Torinese earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 112 km away
- 1912IV31 May 1912
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Canavese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 49 km away
- 1887IV-V23 February 1887
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 217 km away
- 1887IV23 February 1887
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 217 km away · observed at Camasco
- 1884IV12 September 1884
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pianura lombarda earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 121 km away
…and 4 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 54 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
11 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Varallo is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Vercelli0 events · 30gPiedmont region34 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Varallo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varallo area: the latest nearby dates back to 74 months ago.
Is Varallo a seismic area?
Varallo 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 Varallo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varallo was magnitude 2.3, in 2024.
When was the last quake near Varallo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varallo 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)