Earthquakes in Piazza Armerina
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 = 0.101 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Piazza Armerina plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Piazza Armerina
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Piazza Armerina over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2018III6 October 2018
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 46 km away
- 2016III8 February 2016
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 67 km away
- 2002IV6 September 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 119 km away
- 1994II-III6 May 1994
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 29 km away
- 1990V-VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 92 km away
- 1978III15 April 1978
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 119 km away
- 1959IV23 December 1959
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 46 km away
- 1823III-IV5 March 1823
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 81 km away
- 1818V1 March 1818
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 42 km away
- 1818VI20 February 1818
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 67 km away
- 1693VIII11 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 64 km away
- 1169VII-VIII4 February 1169
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 55 km away
…and 9 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 12 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?
Piazza Armerina 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 Enna7 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Piazza Armerina?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Piazza Armerina area: the latest nearby dates back to 7 days ago.
Is Piazza Armerina a seismic area?
Piazza Armerina 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 Piazza Armerina?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Piazza Armerina was magnitude 3.3, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Piazza Armerina?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Piazza Armerina was 7 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)