June 9, 1638 Earthquake: Cotrone, Italy
An earthquake struck Cotrone, Italy on June 9, 1638. It killed 52 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
- June 9, 1638
- Place
- Cotrone, Italy
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.250° N, 16.750° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 52
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
June 8, 1638. Less than three months later, on June 8 [1648], the seat of activity was transferred to the district round Cotrone on the east coast, which had suffered but slightly from the first shock. Several places, such as Roccabernarda, Policastro and Terra della Scala, were in great part ruined, with the total loss of 52 lives. (reference #516)
June 9, 1638, 39 deg 15 min N, 16 deg 45 min E, intensity IX, Cotronese. (reference #1075)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 28, 1908, Messina, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- February 5, 1783, Tyrrhenian Calabria, Italy
- September 16, 1857, Calabria,montemurro, Italy
- December 16, 1857, Campania, Potenza, Italy
- March 27, 1638, Cosenza,martirano, Nicastro, Calabria, Italy
- September 8, 1694, Calitri, Italy
- July 17, 1361, Basilicata to Pouilles, Italy
- November 5, 1659, Panaija, Soriano, Polia, Italy
- January 1688, Pisticci, Italy
- February 6, 1783, Messina Straits, Italy
- January 21, 1065, Catania,messina,milazzo,pale, Sicily, Italy
- April 24, 1836, Rossano,crosia,craco,basilicata, Italy
- September 8, 1905, Monteleone, Tropea, Monte Poro, Italy
- February 12, 1854, Connici,cosenza,pietrafitta,paterno, Italy
- June 19, 1640, Badolato, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1638The 1600sRecent 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 8245.