Earthquakes in Montefranco
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 = 0.187 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Montefranco plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Montefranco
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Montefranco over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2000IV-V16 December 2000
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ternano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 17 km away
- 1998IV-V21 March 1998
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 40 km away
- 1997VI6 October 1997
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 48 km away
- 1997V-VI3 October 1997
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 49 km away
- 1997V-VI26 September 1997
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 48 km away
- 1997V-VI26 September 1997
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 46 km away
- 1993IV-V5 June 1993
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Topino earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 58 km away
- 1984IV29 April 1984
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Umbria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 75 km away
- 1979VI19 September 1979
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 22 km away
- 1970IV-V25 May 1970
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ternano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 7 km away
- 1915VII13 January 1915
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 92 km away
- 1785VII9 October 1785
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Reatini earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 8 km away
…and 14 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 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?
Montefranco 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 Terni22 events · 30gUmbria region366 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Montefranco?
Yes: today the Montefranco area (town and surroundings) recorded 2 quakes; the most recent 31 minutes ago.
Is Montefranco a seismic area?
Montefranco 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 Montefranco?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Montefranco was magnitude 3.9, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Montefranco?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Montefranco was 31 minutes ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)