Earthquakes in Pienza
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 = 0.144 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Pienza plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pienza
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pienza over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1997V26 September 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 96 km away
- 1947VI24 December 1947
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Crete Senesi earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 8 km away
- 1926V-VI8 January 1926
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monte Amiata earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 23 km away
- 1919V29 June 1919
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Mugello earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 102 km away
- 1909VII-VIII25 August 1909
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Crete Senesi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 27 km away
- 1802VII30 October 1802
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Val d'Orcia earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 15 km away
- 1802V-VI30 October 1802
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val d'Orcia earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 15 km away · observed at Monticchiello
- 1798D8 September 1798
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val d'Orcia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 5 km away
- 1781V-VI3 January 1781
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Crete Senesi earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 19 km away
- 1679V-VI24 March 1679
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val d'Orcia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 10 km away
- 1545VII-VIII27 November 1545
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Val d'Orcia earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 6 km away
- 1498VI-VII11 April 1498
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Senese earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 23 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.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town lies about 54 km from Mugello-Citta' di Castello-Leonessa, 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?
Pienza 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 Siena8 events · 30gTuscany region112 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Pienza?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pienza area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Pienza a seismic area?
Pienza 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 Pienza?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pienza was magnitude 3.4, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Pienza?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pienza 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)