September 9, 1349 Earthquake: L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy
An earthquake struck L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy on September 9, 1349. It killed 2,000 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- September 9, 1349
- Place
- L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 42.300° N, 13.500° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1349, September 9 or 10. Abruzzi, Sannio. 42 deg 18' N, 13 deg 30' E, intensity X-XI. (reference #175)
1349, Sept. 9 or 10. Aquila has very disastrous earthquake (epic.), Avezzano, Cassino and Sora. Thousands of deaths, including 860 at Aquila. The monastery of Monte Cassino was destroyed. Perouse, Orvieto and Benevento have also suffered, but Rome and Naples much less. Intensity X 1/2 to XI. (reference #1093)
1349, Sept. 9 or 10. Italy, Aquila (Molise), and elsewhere in (Abruzzi) and in Sannium. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 14, 1703, Central Apennino, Norcia, L'Aquila, Perugia, Italy
- January 13, 1915, Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy
- February 2, 1703, L'Aquila (Aquila), Italy
- 1248, Sabaudia, Italy
- July 26, 1805, Molise, Rosolone, Napoli (Naples), Isernia, Italy
- December 1, 1328, Norcia, Italy
- July 30, 1627, Lesina, Italy
- December 16, 1631, Naples (Napoli), Italy
- March 20, 1731, Foggia, Italy
- June 5, 1688, Benevento, Italy
- July 28, 1883, Casamicciola, Forino, Lacco Ameno, Ischia Is, Italy
- August 24, 79, Naples (Napoli), Italy
- December 25, 1352, Sansepolcro, Italy
- November 29, 1732, Ariano, Lucanie, Avellino, Italy
- April 14, 1672, Rimini, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1349The 1300sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 540.