Earthquakes in Bronte
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?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
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 = 0.155 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Bronte plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Bronte
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Bronte over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2018V6 October 2018
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 24 km away
- 2013V4 January 2013
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 10 km away
- 2001V22 April 2001
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Versante occidentale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 15 km away
- 1978V15 April 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 66 km away
- 1908V10 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Peloritani earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 32 km away
- 1905V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 150 km away · observed at Castello di Nelson
- 1905V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 150 km away
- 1846VI22 April 1846
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 34 km away
- 1832V-VI31 October 1832
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Versante occidentale earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 9 km away
- 1818VII-VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 39 km away
- 1739V-VI5 June 1739
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Versante nord-occidentale earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 7 km away
- 1693VII11 January 1693
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 79 km away
…and 65 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 31 km from Gela-Catania, 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?
Bronte records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Catania23 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Bronte?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bronte area: the latest nearby dates back to 4 days ago.
Is Bronte a seismic area?
Bronte is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Bronte?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bronte was magnitude 4.6, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Bronte?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bronte was 9 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)