Earthquakes in Taormina
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 = 0.213 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Taormina plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Taormina
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Taormina over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002IV6 September 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 151 km away
- 1999IV14 February 1999
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 48 km away
- 1990IV-V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 62 km away
- 1978V15 April 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 62 km away · observed at Trappitello
- 1978IV11 March 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Aspromonte earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 73 km away
- 1961IV24 March 1961
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 48 km away
- 1959IV23 December 1959
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 64 km away
- 1908VI-VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 48 km away
- 1897V11 February 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 113 km away
- 1818VII-VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 30 km away
- 1780VII-VIII28 March 1780
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia nord-orientale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 3 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 83 km away
…and 28 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Taormina 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 Messina73 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Taormina?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Taormina area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Taormina a seismic area?
Taormina 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 Taormina?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Taormina was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Taormina?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Taormina was 11 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)