Earthquakes in Giardini-Naxos
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 = 0.206 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Giardini-Naxos plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Giardini-Naxos
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Giardini-Naxos over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2013III15 August 2013
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Monti Peloritani earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 48 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 2011III6 May 2011
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Versante nord-occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 28 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 2009III-IV19 December 2009
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Etna - Maletto earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 35 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 2001III22 April 2001
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Versante occidentale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 31 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1999IV14 February 1999
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 49 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1990V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 60 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1980III23 November 1980
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 335 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1978V-VI15 April 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 64 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1978IV11 March 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Aspromonte earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 75 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1975III16 January 1975
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 46 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1908VIII28 December 1908
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 51 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
- 1905V-VI8 September 1905
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 127 km away · observed at Giardini Naxos
…and 10 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 4 km from Patti-Giardini, 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?
Giardini-Naxos 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 Messina73 events · 30gSicily region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Giardini-Naxos?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Giardini-Naxos area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Giardini-Naxos a seismic area?
Giardini-Naxos 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 Giardini-Naxos?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Giardini-Naxos was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Giardini-Naxos?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Giardini-Naxos was yesterday.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)