The history of Italian earthquakes from antiquity to L'Aquila 2009 and Amatrice 2016. Seismic zones, what to do during a tremor, myths and realities about Italian seismicity for tourists and residents.
Italy is the most seismically active country in Western Europe, second only to Greece in the Mediterranean basin for frequency and intensity of earthquakes. It isn't an accidental geographical coincidence: the Italian Peninsula sits exactly on the collision between the African plate and the Eurasian one, and the Apennines are a young chain still in active uplift. Understanding Italian seismicity isn't only geology, it's understanding the country, its wounds, its relationship with catastrophe.
INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) has classified the Italian territory into 4 seismic zones (1 = maximum risk, 4 = minimum). The highest-risk zones (1 and 2) include: the whole central-southern Apennines (Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Calabria), northeastern Sicily (the Etna area and Messina), the Ionian Calabria, some areas of Tuscany (the Mugello) and of Friuli. The lowest-risk zones (3 and 4): the Po Valley, most of Sardinia, some areas of the Veneto and of Piedmont.
The most devastating in modern Italian history: 75,000-200,000 dead (the estimates vary, the census in a completely destroyed area was impossible). Messina lost 89% of its buildings, Reggio Calabria 70%. The two cities were rebuilt almost from scratch in the following decade, which is why the centers of Messina and Reggio Calabria are architecturally homogeneous and "modern" compared to the rest of the South. The vessels of the Russian Imperial Navy (the first foreign military fleet to arrive) saved thousands of people from the rubble, a gesture remembered on a plaque on the Messina seafront.
976 dead, 3,000 injured, 32 municipalities destroyed. The Friuli earthquake is also remembered for the response: the reconstruction was considered a model, in 4 years the Friulian municipalities had been rebuilt "as they were, where they were" thanks to efficient management and the community pride of a region with a strong local identity. The Friulian model was later cited as a positive example compared to the failed reconstructions of the Belice (Sicily, 1968) and of Irpinia (1980), where the reconstruction was slow, dispersive and often corrupt.
2,914 dead, 300,000 homeless. The Irpinia earthquake (Avellino-Salerno-Potenza) is the most recent among the great catastrophic earthquakes of the South. The response was chaotic: relief arrived with delays of 24-48 hours in some areas; the management of the reconstruction funds (40,000 billion lire over the years) was infested by Camorra organized crime. President of the Republic Pertini, on a visit to the affected areas, denounced on television the slowness and the inadequacy of the relief, one of the most memorable televised speeches in Italian republican history.
309 dead, about 65,000 displaced. The L'Aquila earthquake is the most debated of recent decades, not only for the catastrophe itself, but for the trial of the 7 experts of the Major Risks Commission convicted at first instance of manslaughter (then acquitted on appeal). The accusation: they had reassured the population three days before the main tremor, leading it not to evacuate. The debate raised fundamental questions about the communication of seismic risk, an unresolved theme not only in Italy.
299 dead, the village of Amatrice (RI) 70% destroyed. Amatrice, famous for spaghetti all'amatriciana, was a small village of 2,646 inhabitants in the Apennines of the Rieti area. The earthquake destroyed not only the houses but a community, the reconstruction is still underway in 2024, with the historic center still (partially) in rubble. The immediate relief response was much better than 1980: the Italian Civil Protection (refounded after the Irpinia earthquake) coordinated the relief effectively in the first 72 hours.
| Moment | What to do | What NOT to do |
|---|---|---|
| During the tremor | Take shelter under a sturdy table or near a load-bearing wall | Don't run outside (danger of falling debris) |
| During the tremor | Move away from windows, mirrors, bookcases | Don't use elevators |
| After the tremor | Leave the building if you can do so safely | Don't use flames (possible gas leaks) |
| After the tremor | Go to open spaces away from buildings | Don't go back for objects |
| After the tremor | Follow the instructions of the Protezione Civile | Don't tie up the phone lines |
Most of the most popular Italian tourist destinations (Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples, the coasts) are in medium- or low-seismic-risk zones. The destinations in high-risk zones (zones 1 and 2) that tourists visit frequently: L'Aquila (AQ), zone 1; Norcia (PG), zone 1; Benevento and Avellino (zone 1-2); Reggio Calabria (zone 1); Messina (zone 1). Seismic risk isn't a reason not to visit these areas, tourism is one of the most important economic contributions to the recovery of the earthquake-stricken areas.
Yes. The risk of being involved in a destructive earthquake during a tourist stay in Italy is statistically very low, similar to the risk of being struck by lightning. The great catastrophic earthquakes (M6.5+) occur on average every 10-30 years in a given seismic area. The constructions in the highest-seismicity zones (L'Aquila, Irpinia) were often in unreinforced masonry of the 19th-20th century, vulnerable to earthquakes. The new Italian buildings constructed after 2009 follow the seismic Code of 2008 (updated in 2018), much more resistant.
No, neither in Italy nor anywhere else in the world. The deterministic prediction of earthquakes (when, where, how strong) doesn't yet exist scientifically. Probabilistic estimates exist (the "seismic hazard" that indicates the probability that an earthquake of a certain intensity will occur in an area within 50 years), but not operational predictions. Anyone who announces they can predict specific earthquakes is selling something not scientifically grounded. The only effective alert system is "early warning," the automatic detection of the P wave (the first to travel, not dangerous) to give 5-30 seconds of warning before the arrival of the S wave (the destructive one). In Japan it's operational, in Italy it's in the experimental phase.
Many don't resist, it's the reason Italian seismic catastrophes have always hit hard. But some historic buildings (Romanesque, medieval, Renaissance) survived centuries of tremors for construction reasons that weren't intentionally seismic-resistant: thick walls (1-2 m), well-connected local stones, massive structures with a low height-to-base ratio. The Pantheon of Rome (125 AD) has survived 1,900 years of Lazio seismicity, partly by luck, partly because of the geometry of the dome that distributes the loads. Popular housing in brick or limestone masonry poorly built is what collapses in earthquakes, not the great monuments.
Many Italian historic centers have been rebuilt after devastating earthquakes, and this has left deep marks in their architecture. Messina and Reggio Calabria of the early 20th century have a homogeneous building fabric in Liberty and Neoclassical style because they were rebuilt almost from scratch after 1908. Venzone (UD) and Gemona del Friuli (UD) are medieval centers rebuilt "where it was and as it was" after 1976, and they succeeded so well that the result is almost indistinguishable from the original, except for the modern seismic-resistant foundations under the stone walls. Amatrice (RI) in 2024 is still a building site, the post-2016 reconstruction proceeds slowly, with years of bureaucracy behind every single building permit. The contrast between Friuli (rebuilt in 5-10 years) and Amatrice (still a building site after 8 years) reveals the enormous difference between efficient regional governance and a slow central State.
Yes. Amatrice (RI) in 2024 is a town under reconstruction, some areas of the historic center are still cordoned off, but there are restaurants open, bars, services. Pasta all'amatriciana is still eaten in Amatrice, in some restaurants that have reopened after the quake. It's a respectful tourism of memory that helps the local economy. How to get there: car from Rome in 2h (the SS4 Salaria, then a turnoff). The boundary between the quake zone and "normality" is visible a few km before Amatrice, the percentage of buildings with visible structural damage increases abruptly.
Italy concentrates in 300,000 km² a variety that elsewhere would require crossing whole continents. Every natural or cultural phenomenon is wrapped in 2,000 years of human history, even the most remote natural areas have traces of settlements, medieval hermitages, ancient trade routes. This adds layers of meaning impossible to find in destinations with less history. The visitor who returns to Italy a second or third time invariably discovers things they had skipped or hadn't known how to read the first time.
It depends on the season and the destination. In high season (June-August) in the big cities: the main museums (the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Uffizi, the Accademia) must be booked weeks in advance. Quality restaurants must be booked 2-7 days ahead. The hotels in the most sought-after destinations sell out months before. In low season (November-March, excluding Christmas) and in less-visited destinations: you can be much more spontaneous, many excellent trattorie accept walk-ins, the minor museums don't require booking, the trains have available seats. The general rule: more predictable = cheaper and less stress. Spontaneity has a cost in Italy in high season.
The costs that tourists don't budget for: the coperto in restaurants (€1-3 per person, legal and normal); the parking in the ZTLs of the historic centers (the cameras are everywhere, the fines arrive by mail even at your home); the surcharge for hold baggage on low-cost domestic flights; the surcharge for paying by card in some shops and small trattorie (illegal but practiced); the water at the restaurant (always paid for in Italy, €2-4 for the bottle, it's never served free as in the USA); the unregulated airport shuttle service (unlicensed taxis in the pickup areas, always use the authorized taxis or pre-booked services).
Before leaving: download the Google Maps offline maps for the cities you'll visit (on the plane, without data, they're very useful); save the number of your consulate in Italy (USA: +39 06 4674 1; UK: +39 06 4220 0001); buy travel insurance with adequate medical coverage; notify your bank that you'll use the card abroad (it avoids a block for "suspicious transactions"); convert €200-300 into cash before leaving (not at the airport, the exchange rate is terrible) for the first necessities; download Trenitalia, Moovit and Google Translate with the Italian language offline. The Italian emergency number is 112, it works even without an active SIM.