Earthquakes in Orvieto
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 = 0.146 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Orvieto plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Orvieto
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Orvieto over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1971VII2 March 1971
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Tordimonte
- 1971VII2 March 1971
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Canino
- 1957VII6 December 1957
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 10 km away · observed at Canonica
- 1957VII6 December 1957
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 10 km away · observed at Sugano
- 1957VI-VII6 December 1957
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 10 km away · observed at Benano
- 1957VI-VII6 December 1957
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 10 km away · observed at San Giovanni
- 1915VII13 January 1915
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 138 km away
- 1695VII-VIII11 June 1695
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Lazio settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 12 km away · observed at Rocca Ripesena
- 1695VII-VIII11 June 1695
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Lazio settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 12 km away
- 1695VII-VIII11 June 1695
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Lazio settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 12 km away · observed at Sugano
- 1276VIII-IX22 May 1276
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 5 km away
- 1276VIII22 May 1276
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Orvietano earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 5 km away · observed at Rocca Ripesena
…and 73 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 42 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?
Orvieto is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
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 Orvieto?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Orvieto area: the latest nearby dates back to 1 month ago.
Is Orvieto a seismic area?
Orvieto 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 Orvieto?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Orvieto was magnitude 4.1, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Orvieto?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Orvieto was 11 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)