April 24, 1591 Earthquake: Zakynthos, Greece
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Zakynthos, Greece on April 24, 1591 at 16:30 UTC.
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
- April 24, 1591
- Time
- 16:30 UTC
- Place
- Zakynthos, Greece
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Mw)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 37.700° N, 20.800° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.
[…] we adopt that the damaging main shock on Zakynthos occurred on 14/24 April 1591. The date of 28 May 1591 (N.S.) adopted by [ref #9116] is not justified as the date of that earthquake event. (reference #13931)
An earthquake destroyed many houses on the island of Zante (Zakynthos) and brought down parts of the walls of the town, exposing it to attack. Following a request by the Venetian governor of Zante, tax relief to the value of 1000 ducats was awarded about a year later for rebuilding the walls of the fortress. Because of the apparent lack of workmen, the Zantians were ordered to bring in the master builder of Corfu and two master masons and stone masons: this suggests that Corfu was not damaged. (reference #9116)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 856, Korinthos,patrai (Patras), Greece
- July 7, 551, Schisma, Boetia, Greece
- September 30, 1636, Cephalonia, Greece
- August 12, 1953, Lixouri-Argostoli (Kephallenia), Greece
- December 29, 1820, Zakinthos (Zante), Greece
- August 27, 1886, Triphylie (Peleponese), Philiatra, Greece
- July 11, 1767, Kefalonia, Greece
- February 4, 1867, Cephalonia, Greece
- August 23, 1817, Aeghion, Achaia, Greece
- February 25, 1742, Zakynthos, Greece
- August 1, 1870, Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece
- September 30, 1870, Greece
- March 23, 1783, Lefkada, Greece
- January 19, 1825, Leukas, Ionian Islands, Greece
- November 11, 1704, Greece
More
Significant earthquakes of 1591The 1500sRecent 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 10790.