Earthquakes in Colle di Val d'Elsa
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.141 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Colle di Val d'Elsa plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Colle di Val d'Elsa
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Colle di Val d'Elsa over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1993IV6 August 1993
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Colline Metallifere earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 17 km away
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 69 km away
- 1909VI25 August 1909
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Crete Senesi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 38 km away
- 1906V-VI21 April 1906
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valdelsa earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 6 km away
- 1897V22 May 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valdelsa earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 8 km away
- 1895V25 October 1895
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Chianti earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 17 km away
- 1895V18 May 1895
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Fiorentino earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 36 km away
- 1890V15 February 1890
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valdelsa earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 21 km away
- 1869VI26 September 1869
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valdelsa earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 5 km away
- 1804VI17 December 1804
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valdelsa earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 6 km away
- 1804VII18 October 1804
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valdelsa earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 5 km away
- 1558V13 April 1558
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valdarno superiore earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 39 km away
…and 21 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 44 km from Livorno Hills, 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?
Colle di Val d'Elsa sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Siena8 events · 30gTuscany region113 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Colle di Val d'Elsa?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Colle di Val d'Elsa area: the latest nearby dates back to 12 days ago.
Is Colle di Val d'Elsa a seismic area?
Colle di Val d'Elsa 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 Colle di Val d'Elsa?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Colle di Val d'Elsa was magnitude 3.9, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Colle di Val d'Elsa?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Colle di Val d'Elsa was 12 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)