Earthquakes in Caltagirone
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 = 0.178 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Caltagirone plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Caltagirone
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Caltagirone over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 83 km away
- 1949VI8 October 1949
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 35 km away
- 1909VII-VIII2 January 1909
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Caltagirone earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 5 km away
- 1908VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 149 km away
- 1898V-VI3 November 1898
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calatino earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 9 km away
- 1818VII1 March 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 23 km away
- 1818VI20 February 1818
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 73 km away
- 1698VII-VIII1 January 1698
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Monti Iblei settentrionali earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 28 km away
- 1693IX11 January 1693
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 46 km away
- 1693V-VI9 January 1693
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 48 km away
- 1624VI3 October 1624
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Iblei settentrionali earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 23 km away
- 1542VIII10 December 1542
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 39 km away
…and 35 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 5 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?
Caltagirone is quieter 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 region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Caltagirone?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Caltagirone area: the latest nearby dates back to 27 days ago.
Is Caltagirone a seismic area?
Caltagirone 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 Caltagirone?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Caltagirone was magnitude 4.4, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Caltagirone?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Caltagirone was 27 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)