Earthquakes in Donnas
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 = 0.050 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Donnas 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 Donnas plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Donnas
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Donnas over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005NF8 September 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Massif du Mont-Blanc earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 85 km away
- 2005NF5 July 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Canavese earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 30 km away
- 1996NF31 March 1996
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle d'Aosta earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 45 km away
- 1987IV3 July 1987
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Canavese earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 25 km away
- 1980III-IV5 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Torinese earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 72 km away
- 1936IV17 October 1936
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Biellese earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 23 km away
- 1892VII-VIII5 March 1892
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Valle d'Aosta earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Outrefer
- 1892VI-VII5 March 1892
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle d'Aosta earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 4 km away
- 1887IV23 February 1887
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 189 km away
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 46 km from Western Piemonte, 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?
Donnas 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 Aosta3 events · 30gAosta Valley region3 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Donnas?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Donnas area: the latest nearby dates back to 7 months ago.
Is Donnas a seismic area?
Donnas 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 Donnas?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Donnas was magnitude 2.3, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Donnas?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Donnas was 7 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)