Province of Lucca

Earthquakes in Pietrasanta

0.8
very light
LATEST QUAKE

4 km South of Massarosa

yesterday · 23 Aug, 22:16
Depth 10 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
1
days since the last quake nearby
1,064
quakes recorded since 2014
~4 days
on average, one quake every
3.9
The strongest within 30 km
1 km North-East of Fosdinovo
5 months ago · 25 Mar, 08:13

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone3
Seismic zone 3

Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Low
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.137 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
13
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
38
In the area
last 12 months
M3.9
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Pietrasanta plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 24 months ago · 24,179 inhabitants

The seismic history of Pietrasanta

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pietrasanta over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 1997IV24 December 1997

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 31 km away

  2. 1995V10 October 1995

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away · observed at Marina di Pietrasanta

  3. 1980IV-V7 June 1980

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 30 km away

  4. 1972V25 October 1972

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 65 km away

  5. 1939V15 October 1939

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 17 km away

  6. 1920VII7 September 1920

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 24 km away

  7. 1920VI-VII7 September 1920

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 24 km away · observed at Capezzano

  8. 1914VI-VII27 October 1914

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 32 km away

  9. 1914VI27 October 1914

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 32 km away · observed at Marina di Pietrasanta

  10. 1902V4 August 1902

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 16 km away

  11. 1846VI14 August 1846

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Colline Pisane earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 63 km away

  12. 1740VI-VII6 March 1740

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 25 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.

19206.5
Garfagnana earthquake
7 September 1920 · 24 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
18375.9
Lunigiana earthquake
11 April 1837 · 22 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
17405.6
Garfagnana earthquake
6 March 1740 · 25 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19145.6
Lucchesia earthquake
27 October 1914 · 32 km from here
VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Garfagnana

The town lies about 18 km from Garfagnana, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 1 and 10 km deep

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

August 20267eventsmax 3.7
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

0.8
4 km South of Massarosa
18 km South-East · 10 km
yesterday
23 Aug, 22:16
2.3
2 km North-East of Fosdinovo
24 km North-West · 11 km
3 days ago
22 Aug, 17:55
1.2
7 km West of Viareggio
13 km South · 6 km
6 days ago
19 Aug, 04:55
2.2
2 km North-East of Fosdinovo
23 km North-West · 11 km
8 days ago
17 Aug, 08:38
2.0
3 km East of Fosdinovo
21 km North-West · 9 km
9 days ago
16 Aug, 13:42
1.6
4 km East of Fosdinovo
22 km North-West · 10 km
9 days ago
16 Aug, 05:57
3.7
1 km North-East of Fosdinovo
23 km North-West · 10 km
9 days ago
16 Aug, 05:49
1.3
4 km South-West of Minucciano
19 km North · 12 km
2 months ago
16 Jun, 11:25
1.6
3 km North-West of Fosdinovo
26 km North-West · 62 km
2 months ago
14 Jun, 12:30
1.8
1 km North-East of Vagli Sotto
17 km North-East · 5 km
2 months ago
13 Jun, 19:12

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Pietrasanta is quieter than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 38% of the 33 towns in the province.
Pietrasanta13
Nearby towns average51

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Lucca5 events · 30gTuscany region112 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 046024

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Pietrasanta?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pietrasanta area: the latest nearby dates back to yesterday.

Is Pietrasanta a seismic area?

Pietrasanta is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.

What was the strongest earthquake near Pietrasanta?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pietrasanta was magnitude 3.9, in 2026.

When was the last quake near Pietrasanta?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pietrasanta was yesterday.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

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