Earthquakes in Ultimo
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 quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
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 = 0.048 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Ultimo sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.
That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.
The “area” is Ultimo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Ultimo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Ultimo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002NF13 November 2002
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Franciacorta earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 113 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 2001IV-V17 July 2001
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Val Venosta earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 24 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 1989III-IV13 September 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Prealpi Vicentine earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 75 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 1928IV27 March 1928
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Carnia earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 158 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 1914IV27 October 1914
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 290 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 1909IV13 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 223 km away · observed at Ultimo (Santa Valburga)
- 1895III14 April 1895
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Ljubljana earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 280 km away · observed at Santa Geltrude
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 42 km from Giudicarie, 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?
Ultimo 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 Bolzano13 events · 30gTrentino-Alto Adige region29 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Ultimo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Ultimo area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 days ago.
Is Ultimo a seismic area?
Ultimo is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
What was the strongest earthquake near Ultimo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Ultimo was magnitude 3.2, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Ultimo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Ultimo was 9 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)