Earthquakes in Massafra
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 = 0.104 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Massafra plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Massafra
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Massafra over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1988V13 April 1988
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 107 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 160 km away
- 1978IV24 September 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 57 km away
- 1917III-IV12 June 1917
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 103 km away
- 1910III-IV3 October 1910
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Basilicata meridionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 92 km away
- 1910IV7 June 1910
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 150 km away
- 1905IV8 September 1905
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 224 km away
- 1897F28 May 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 419 km away
- 1897F11 February 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 382 km away
- 1889IV-V8 December 1889
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Gargano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 183 km away
- 1743F20 February 1743
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio settentrionale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 162 km away
- 1713VI-VII3 January 1713
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Bassa Murgia earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 5 km away
…and 6 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 6 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, 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?
Massafra 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 Taranto1 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Massafra?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Massafra area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Massafra a seismic area?
Massafra 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 Massafra?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Massafra was magnitude 2.8, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Massafra?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Massafra was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)