Earthquakes in Francofonte
Mar Ionio Meridionale [Mare]
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.270 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Francofonte plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Francofonte
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Francofonte over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2016IV8 February 2016
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 29 km away
- 2004III-IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 43 km away
- 2000III-IV5 November 2000
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Etna - Versante meridionale earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 50 km away
- 1990VI-VII16 December 1990
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 53 km away
- 1990VI-VII13 December 1990
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 50 km away
- 1959IV23 December 1959
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 14 km away
- 1895IV-V13 April 1895
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei ? earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 24 km away
- 1894IV16 November 1894
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 146 km away
- 1892V22 January 1892
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 10 km away
- 1818VI-VII1 March 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 11 km away
- 1693X11 January 1693
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 16 km away
- 1693VIII9 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 18 km away
…and 12 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 7 km from Ragusa-Palagonia, 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?
Francofonte is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Siracusa5 events · 30gSicily region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Francofonte?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Francofonte area: the latest nearby dates back to 3 days ago.
Is Francofonte a seismic area?
Francofonte is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Francofonte?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Francofonte was magnitude 4.3, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Francofonte?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Francofonte was 6 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)