Over the past few centuries, Italy has suffered catastrophic earthquakes that have caused damage to hundreds of thousands of people. Many architectural monuments were destroyed. Here are the largest earthquakes in Italy over the past century.

• In 2012, a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the northeast of the country, killing 6 people. In addition, the cultural heritage of the region has been severely damaged. Literally 9 days later, a new earthquake hit the same area, already more powerful - 19 people died and hundreds were injured.

• April 6, 2009 - catastrophic earthquake in L'Aquila in the central part of the country. The tremors were also felt in Rome, which is almost a hundred kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. More than 300 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless as a result of the destruction.

• In October 2002, the San Giuliano di Puglia earthquake killed 30 people and was a tragedy for the parents of 27 children who died with their teacher at school. The school building was completely destroyed.

*In the autumn of 1997, two earthquakes occurred, the interval between them was only one week. As a result, 12 people died, more than 100 were injured, 30 thousand people were left without their homes. The natural disaster severely damaged the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• In December 1990, a strong earthquake in Sicily claimed the lives of 17 people, and about 200 were injured.

• In November 1980, a series of earthquakes hit Italy, some of them very powerful. During the year, natural disasters claimed the lives of about 3 thousand people, more than 20 thousand were injured. The most catastrophic consequences were in Irpinia.

• But the most destructive in the history of the country is considered to be an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 in December 1908 in the south of the country. More than 95,000 people died then.

*One of the first natural disasters captured on videotape was the 1915 earthquake during World War I in the Abruzzo region. At least 30,000 people died then.

Due to the fact that Italy is very prone to earthquakes, its territory is divided into 174 regions, which are closely monitored by seismologists to warn the population of a possible danger, but they do not always succeed.

Dozens of people became victims of the underground elements in the Apennines

Dozens of dead and missing - this is the sad result of rampant underground elements in the central part of the Apennine Peninsula. The cities of Amatrice and Accumoli were badly hit, the tremors were felt in the Italian capital. Whether it was possible to predict an earthquake - the expert answered this question of "MK".

“Everything is in order with us,” Tommaso Ancidei, a resident of Florence, who came to Rome on vacation, told MK. “Tonight I felt the bed moving. And I realized that it was an earthquake, but I could not even imagine how strong it was until I looked at the news ...

And the news was really terrible. An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 occurred on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday at 3:36 local time. During this time, most people were sleeping peacefully. The Italian towns located in the mountains in the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Marche suffered the most from the earthquake. Usually the population in the affected areas is not very numerous, but in the summer many vacationers come here for recreation.

According to the mayor of the town of Amatrici, Sergio Perozzi, more than half of the village "disappeared." There were people under the rubble of buildings.

“Now that it's light, we see that the situation is even worse than we feared,” said Accumoli Mayor Stefano Petrucci. “Buildings are destroyed, people are trapped in the rubble – and there are no signs of life.”

Authorities reported that 6 people were known to have died in Accumoli and the same number died in Amatrice. According to media reports, ten people died in the village of Pescara del Tronto.

According to American seismologists, the epicenter of the earthquake was located near the city of Norcia in Umbria, while Italian experts believe that the epicenter was located to the south, closer to Accumoli and Amatrice.

In recent years, this is not the first devastating earthquake in the Apennines: in 2009, more than 300 people died in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe city of L "Aquila. The most catastrophic in terms of the number of victims in the modern history of Italy was the earthquake that caused a tsunami in 1908 in the south of the country - then died, according to some estimates, up to 80 thousand people.

- The Apennine Peninsula is certainly a seismically active region, - a geophysicist, associate professor of the department of meteorological forecasts at the Russian State Hydrometeorological University Viktor Bokov comments on MK. – The intensity of the magnitude is more than 6, which is destructive for cities, usually happens there once every five to six years. Smaller earthquakes of magnitude 4-5 occur much more frequently, several times a year. Volcanic activity is also present in the region, so there is an active degassing of the earth's crust. Plus quite intensive movement of geoblocks. A few years ago, there was a strong earthquake in L "Aquila - now it has happened again. And the initiator (or trigger) is atmospheric processes. We predicted this earthquake, but somewhat to the south. The fact is that the information we have on the atmosphere, on solar activity is not enough "We need data on geophysical observations in seismically active areas. If such information were, of course, we would give a more accurate forecast. Nevertheless, we determined the date exactly, and the place is a little bit further south. Therefore, international cooperation is needed here, because such processes have not been repeated with human casualties. We are solving this issue, we have a website where we post forecasts. It is a pity that the national geophysical and seismological networks do not share operational information, and if they do, then only later. predict strong earthquakes.

- On the basis of what "symptoms" were forecasts made regarding the last earthquake?

We know that there have been no earthquakes for a long time. There is such a seismological parameter - "calm". Plus, we use solar activity: we know that August 24 is the day when earthquakes occur on Earth. It remains to determine the location. And we determine it by atmospheric processes... In a word, earthquakes are quite predictable. We need to unite geophysicists, meteorologists, seismologists - and in this case we can come to successful forecasts.

Earthquakes are a distant and unknown to most people, but at the same time a very terrifying phenomenon. I think that there is no such person in our country who would not sympathize with the affected Italian families after the recent rampant disaster in Amatrice (Amatrice) and Accumoli (Accumoli).

Victims, destruction and, of course, fear are the constant companions of any disaster. Not only local residents are afraid of a repeat of the disaster, but also tourists who exclude Italy from the list of possible holiday destinations.

We propose to consider this problem in more detail and understand whether earthquakes in Italy and in are so terrible, as they are presented by the domestic media.

To understand why earthquakes occur in Italy, it is necessary to consider the tectonics of the earth's plates.

The shell of the Earth is divided into several large tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur as a result of the release of energy in the earth's crust due to tectonic displacements.

The southern part of the Italian peninsula is just located not far from the line where the Eurasian and African plates meet and push against each other, creating seismic tension. Large volcanoes (Etna), (Stromboli) and (Vesuvio) are very close to this zone.

Besides, Italy has a number of small faults along the Apennine ridge (Appennini). It is gradually elongated at a rate of about 3 mm per year. This slow stretch causes energy to build up in the earth's crust, which is then released during earthquakes.

Minor tremors occur almost daily. But they are so small that they go unnoticed.
Despite the fact that the territory of Italy is considered one of the most seismically active in Europe, it is worth noting that many large countries of the world, such as Japan, the USA, Britain, India, New Zealand, Australia and a number of others, are prone to earthquakes.

Vulnerable regions

The areas of Italy most prone to earthquakes were legislated in 2003 to reduce the effects of cataclysms through the construction and proper placement of earthquake-resistant structures.

According to the legal measure, the Italian territory is divided into 4 zones depending on the likelihood of earthquakes:

1. Zone 1 - the most dangerous areas where strong earthquakes can occur. Regions: Calabria (Calabria), eastern part (Campania), western part (Abruzzo) and southern part (Umbria) (these are areas located along the Apennine ridge), east coast (Sicilia), (Friuli-Venezia Giulia).
2. Zone 2 - These areas may be partially affected by major earthquakes. Regions: most of Sicily (except the center of the west coast), (Basilicata), Molise (Molise), Marche (Marche), western Abruzzo, southeastern (Emilia-Romagna) and (Lombardia), western (Piemonte), west coast ( Tuscany).
3. Zone 3 - areas in which slight fluctuations are possible. Regions: western (Liguria), southwestern Piedmont, almost all of Emilia-Romagna, the central part of the region (Veneto), northern Apulia (Puglia), (Lazio), including (Roma).
4. Zone 4 - the least dangerous areas with a low probability of seismic activity. Regions: southern Puglia (the heel of the Italian boot on the map), (Sardegna), Valle d'Aosta (Valle d'Aosta), most of Piedmont, western and northern Lombardy, (Trentino-Alto Adige).

History of earthquakes

Over the past 2000 years, about 400 major earthquakes have been recorded on the territory of modern Italy, which claimed the lives of several thousand people.

One of the largest natural disasters that occurred in Italy in 1783 is called the Calabrian earthquake. Tremors with a magnitude of more than 5.9 points continued for almost 2 months. The death toll was estimated at about 80,000.

In the first hour of the earthquake on February 5, 1783, the magnitude reached 8 points. Within just 1 minute, about 100 villages in the Calabria region were razed to the ground. In some places, earth faults appeared more than a kilometer long. Witnesses claimed that "two mountains walked towards each other until they merged into one, intercepting the riverbed." Thus, new lakes appeared in the region, which were artificially drained after 30 years.

Several hundred people from the city of Scilla survived the initial tremors and fled to the beach for cover. Many of them drowned when repeated vibrations caused a tsunami. Thousands of people were killed by water in the cities of Reggio di Calabria (Reggio di Calabria) and Messina (Messina). Suffering continued in southern Italy and Sicily for the remainder of the winter. In addition, the last aftershocks, which occurred on March 28, killed several thousand more people.

The Calabrian earthquake of 1783 is considered to be one of the most devastating disasters in the history of Western Europe.

Italy has also suffered a series of deadly swings over the last century:

• 1908 Sicily and Calabria (magnitude 7.1). The cities of Messina and Reggio di Calabria were almost completely destroyed. The death toll reached 200 thousand people.
• January 1915 Abruzzo. A devastating earthquake leveled the city of Avezzano, killing 30,000 people. Many people died from severe frosts, left homeless.
• July 1930 Campaign. The 6.6 magnitude wobble claimed about 2,000 lives. Many people were saved by the fact that they were not at home, but were engaged in field work harvesting wheat.
• May 1976 Friuli. 6.5 magnitude aftershocks in northeastern Italy. About 1,000 people died, 2,400 were injured, and 157,000 were left homeless.
• November 1980 Campaign. With its epicenter at Eboli, the 6.9-magnitude quake killed 3,000 people and made about 200,000 homeless. Vibrated for 22 minutes after the shocks stopped.

• April 2009 Abruzzo. The 6.3 magnitude fluctuation left thousands of people homeless. Killed about 300. Tremors were felt even in Rome, located 100 km from the epicenter. Members of the National Commission for the Prevention of Disasters were found guilty of manslaughter due to late notification of the danger.

• May 2012 Emilia-Romagna. A magnitude 6 quake in northern Italy. 24 people died, hundreds were injured, 15,000 people were left homeless.

Echoes of earthquakes in Rome

Although Rome is considered a seismically safe area and has never been the epicenter of earthquakes, but in its history there are cases of tragic echoes of the elements that caused significant destruction.

So, for example, historians believe that the famous house on Valentini Street (Domus di palazzo Valentini) was once abandoned due to severe damage that appeared after strong tremors in the 5th century.

A terrible earthquake in 1349 with a magnitude of 6.9 in the Friuli region caused significant destruction in the capital of Italy. Thus, the famous Police Tower (Torre delle Milizie), located behind Trajan's Market (Mercati di Traiano), lost two floors and acquired a slight slope.

Seismologists say that it was the strongest catastrophe that destroyed part (Colosseo) and damaged the basilica (basilica di San Paolo). By the way, the basilica also suffered in each subsequent case, since it is located in the most vulnerable place - not far from. Francesco Petrarch witnessed the terrible destruction when he visited Rome in 1350. He describes abandoned buildings, destroyed churches, huge cracks in many structures. “Everything saddens,” he writes, “inspires chilling horror!”

But perhaps the most devastating earthquake to hit the city was the 1703 disaster that struck central Italy. Several cities such as Norcia were wiped off the face of the Earth, churches, palaces, monuments were destroyed. The Colosseum was damaged again. People have been sleeping on the streets for several weeks due to the ongoing aftershocks.

On this, the elements did not leave the city alone. Two centuries later, horrific destruction and death were repeated again. On January 13, 1915, at 7:55 am, the city began to shake, people ran out into the streets in a panic. Even the Swiss guards and prelates, leaving their posts, rushed to the exits in horror. Two buildings completely collapsed, was seriously damaged (Campidoglio), cracks appeared on the walls of hundreds of buildings, the Antonin column (colonna Antonina) turned on its pedestal. Now the base of the column is at the entrance to the Pinakothek where we invite you to.

2016: Consequences and affected areas

The media is full of pictures of destroyed buildings and bloody bodies, striking fear into the minds of people around the world. But is it all that terrible?

If you look closely at the dynamics of the number of victims in the history of Italian earthquakes, you can trace a natural decrease in the number of dead people. We invite you to familiarize yourself with what the republic faced this time.

24 August

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 shook central Italy on August 24 early in the morning. The tremors were caused by movement in the Tyrrhenian Basin (a seismically active zone in the Mediterranean Sea).

The epicenter of the earthquake was about 10 km southeast of the historic tourist town of Norcia. The aftershocks killed 297 people: 234 in Amatrice, 11 in Accumoli and 49 in Arquata del Tronto. About 365 injured people were taken to hospitals, while people with less serious injuries were treated on the spot. 238 people were pulled out of the rubble thanks to timely measures taken.

The mayor of Amatrice said that "half of the city is practically destroyed." Economic losses are estimated at 1 to 11 billion dollars.

Many medieval buildings have been reduced to ruins. In Amatrice, the façade and the rose-shaped window of the church of Sant'Agostino were destroyed. The museum dedicated to the artist Nicolo Filotessio (student) collapsed. The shaking was felt all the way to Rome (about 112 km southwest of the city). Cracks appeared in the Roman (Terme di Caracalla).

October 26 and 30

No sooner had Italy recovered from the summer catastrophe than it was struck by a new wave of tremors. A series of powerful earthquakes covered the country between the Marche and Umbria regions from 26 to 30 October 2016:

• Magnitude 5.5, 8 km southeast of Sellano (October 26 at 20:11 Moscow time). The tremors were barely felt in Rome, although half of my Roman friends didn't feel them. Several houses collapsed in the Marche region. There were power outages, telephone lines were not working.

• Magnitude 6.1, 3 km west of Visso (October 26 at 22:18 Moscow time). The consequences were less than expected. One man died after suffering a heart attack due to the earthquake.

• Magnitude 6.6, 6 km north of Spoleto (October 30, 0640 GMT). The village of Arquata del Tronto was destroyed. More than 40 settlements were partially destroyed. About 100,000 people lost their homes. The Basilica of Saint Benedict in Norcia was damaged. During the shaking, two women died of heart attacks.

The victims of the October disaster were avoided due to the fact that people managed to leave the buildings.

2017: earthquake on the island of Ischia

On Monday, August 21 at 20:57 local time in Italian (Ischia), an earthquake of magnitude 4 on the Richter scale struck. Its epicenter was located in the sea 3 km north of the island at a depth of 5 km. Seismologists reported that the earthquake is of volcanic origin, since the island itself arose 150 thousand years ago after the eruption of underwater volcanoes.

As a result of the rampant elements, 2 women died and 39 people were injured. The city of Casamicciola was hit. About 2,000 people were left without a roof over their heads and were promptly placed in hotels.

The good news that spread all over the world was the rescue of three brothers from the rubble of the destroyed building. The smallest, seven-month-old baby Pasquale, was found at night. He escaped with minor scratches. Eight-year-old Matthias was discovered by morning, and teenager Kiro, 11, spent about 14 hours under the rubble. Their mother, who is 5 months pregnant, miraculously escaped through the bathroom window.

As noted, most of the destruction occurred due to dilapidation of structures and non-compliance with earthquake prevention measures during the construction of new buildings. At the same time, the legality of the latter raises some doubts, since the Italian authorities are making significant efforts to ensure that the damage from the rampant elements is minimal.

It is worth emphasizing that this is not the first time shaking has tormented the island. According to the "Catalogo parametrico dei terremoti italiani 2015", Ischia has been hit by earthquakes 12 times in the past. The last one is dated November 23, 1980. The most devastating thing happened on July 28, 1883. It left behind more than 2,200 dead out of a population of 4,000. But in most cases, fluctuations did not exceed 4 points and were localized in small areas.

Therefore, the scale of the disaster on August 21 can be considered insignificant. By the way, the inhabitants of the southern part of the island did not feel the slightest jolt.

Not a single scientist in the world can give a long-term forecast for the occurrence of natural disasters. It is impossible to say with accuracy whether there will be another earthquake in a year or in 20 years. Seismologists say that the Italian territory can be subject to serious shocks every 10-15 years.

It is impossible to prevent an earthquake, but it is possible to avoid casualties and destruction by building earthquake-resistant buildings. Today in Italy much attention is paid to the policy of disaster prevention. It is clear that buildings in small villages and historical buildings cannot be protected from the elements, but the construction of new buildings in large cities takes into account the vulnerability of the regions.

Of course, Italy is not safe ... Not safe, like all other countries on our planet. We do not know where and when nature will decide to show us its power: it will bring down showers and snowfalls or shake it up, spin a tornado or throw a meteorite. But the fact is that it is not worth living in fear.

Not going to Italy because of the possibility of earthquakes is like not eating for fear of poisoning, not becoming a mother for fear of losing your figure, and not loving for fear of being abandoned, while suffering from loneliness. Moreover, everything is calm in Rome and other big cities and we learn about many disasters from relatives and friends who, having seen the next story on the news, immediately call and worry.

The only fear we should have is to waste our time aimlessly. Rejoice, love, travel and remember: “Not the one who got into trouble is lost, but the one who lost his spirit!”. We are waiting for you in the Eternal City.

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An earthquake in Central Italy could be one of the most devastating in the history of the country. The disaster occurred in old cities with unstable houses in a mountainous area, already in the afternoon the authorities reported 73 victims

The aftermath of the earthquake in Italy (Photo: ANSA via AP)

​In the heart of Italy

On the night of August 24, there was a serious earthquake in Central Italy. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a shock of magnitude 6.2 was registered at 3:36 am local time (4:36 Moscow time) at a depth of less than 10 km, just south of the city of Norcia, at the junction of the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Marche. The tremors were felt throughout central Italy, with repeated tremors subsequently felt until noon Moscow time.

In the immediate vicinity of the epicenter of the earthquake was the town of Amatrice (province of Lazio), the number of inhabitants of which is about 2.8 thousand. The earthquake occurred in the middle of the mountain range of the Central Apennines - in the same place, a little to the south, is the city of L'Aquila, where there was already an earthquake of the same amplitude spring 2009. Then 279 people died.

The vast majority of earthquake victims were buried under the ruins of their own homes while sleeping, local authorities said. Now many people still remain under the rubble, rescuers cannot reach some places due to destroyed roads, according to authorities and local rescue services. At the moment, the death of 73 people has been confirmed, according to Reuters, citing Immacolata Postiglione, spokesman for the government department of civil security, data on missing people are being specified, according to preliminary estimates, there are more than a hundred of them.

There is no information about whether the Russians suffered during the earthquake, Maria Kuchuk, press attache of the Russian Embassy in Italy, told RBC. The mountain range of Central Italy, in principle, is not considered a tourist region, Irina Tyurina, a representative of the Russian Union of Tour Operators, explained to RBC, but a tourist bus route runs not far from the epicenter, and a Russian tourist group will pass there on Sunday.

Rescue teams with special equipment were sent to the areas affected by the disaster, the Ministry of Defense also involved army units. The newspaper Corriere della Sera notes that the authorities of the Lazio region sent a humanitarian convoy to the region: four field kitchens, 20 trucks, 71 tents, 500 beds and more. Already, according to Rai News, the number of people who lost their homes reaches 2.5 thousand people.

“We will not abandon any family from any area, but we will work hard to rescue survivors from the rubble and to restore hope to these cities,” said Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. “Italy knows what to do in difficult times.”

It is noted that underground jerks were recorded at 03:11 UTC 138 km north of Rome. The source of the earthquake lay at a depth of 9 km.

The National Civil Defense Service is currently investigating whether the earthquake caused any damage. Tremors in central Italy, where in the summer of 2016 year happened devastating earthquake, caused huge alarm on social media.

By the way, already then the expert predicted aftershocks in the coming weeks - the element, according to him, could cause new shifts. His forecast was fully confirmed: in October, the same region of Italy was shaking twice. Fortunately, the second time there were no casualties, although the infrastructure of residential villages nearby from Perugia suffered greatly.

Seismologists recorded tremors at 05.11 (06.11 Kyiv time). The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of about 9 kilometers from the earth nearby surfaces from the village of Muccia in the Marche region. The first tremor was followed by several aftershocks of magnitude over 2.0.

Underground vibrations were felt by residents of cities and towns in two areas - the Marche and Umbria. Employees of the Civil Defense went to the places, it turns out whether the shocks caused the destruction.

“It shakes mainly central Italy, in the region of the Apennine mountains, which stretch from north to south. The most dangerous is in the outback, away from tourist places. But in Rome and on the coast, tremors can only be felt: furniture is moving, chandeliers are swinging, ”seismologist Igor Shemchuk explained to Vesti. - It is unrealistic to predict the next earthquake in Italy, it matures very deeply. But you can protect houses and people from trouble: you need to build special supports and make buildings in dangerous areas more stable.”

National Institute of Geophysics and a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in central Italy on Tuesday.

Tremors were recorded 138 kilometers north of Rome. The source of the earthquake lay at a depth of nine kilometers. After the first shock, there were several aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 2.0.

Earthquake in Italy 2018 magnitude. All that is known at the moment.

As reported, as a result of an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 in Turkey's southeastern province of Adiyaman, on the morning of April 24, 39 people were injured.

The seismic event, the epicenter of which was located near the village of Muccia in the Marche region, occurred at 06:11 Moscow time. The first tremor was followed by several aftershocks of magnitude over 2.0.

Registered by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications. Registration certificates EL No. FS 77 - 70162 dated June 16, 2017, EL No. FS 77 - 70194 dated June 21, 2017

Seismologists recorded tremors at 05.11 (06.11 Kyiv time). The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of about 9 kilometers from the earth's surface near the village of Muccia in the Marche region.

Fixed at 5:11 (6:11 Moscow time). The epicenter of the earthquake lay at a depth of about 9 km from the earth's surface near the village of Muccia in the Marche region. After the first tremor, there were several aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 2.0.

Earthquake in Italy 2018 affected. Detailed data.

The epicenter of the tremors was recorded at a depth of nine kilometers near the village of Muccia in the Marche region. The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks with a magnitude of over 2.0.

Recall that in 2016 a series of earthquakes occurred in central Italy. The strongest of them was recorded on October 30, its magnitude was 6.5. Four Italian regions suffered the most - Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo.

MINSK, April 10 - Sputnik. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake hit central Italy on Tuesday morning, the country's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said.

As Vesti wrote, at the very end of March, an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred off the coast of Japan. The epicenter of the tremors was located 233 km from the island of Io. The source of the earthquake lay at a depth of 35.8 km. Earlier in the west of Turkey, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 points. Other data on the earthquake at the services are identical: the epicenter of the shocks was at a depth of 5 km, 191 km from Izmir.

A major earthquake occurred in the above provinces in the summer of 2016. Then large-scale destruction occurred and hundreds of people died, more than 4.5. The country's authorities estimated damage from the earthquake at four billion euros.

Italy is more prone to earthquakes than other European countries. The reason is the complex structure of the Apennine Peninsula at the junction of tectonic plates, which periodically run into each other underground, which leads to disasters.

Kyiv, April 10 - RIA Novosti Ukraine. A magnitude 4.7 quake hit central Italy early Tuesday morning, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) said.