July 11, 1767 Earthquake: Kefalonia, Greece

11 July 1767. Magnitude 7.2 Mw. Cephalonia. 253 deaths. (reference #4408)

11/22 July 1767. On that date, a very well-known large and destructive earthquake hit mainly Cephalonia but also Lefkada and Zakynthos islands. Magnitude 6.65 Mw (reference #13931)

22 1767 Jul. Kefalonia. There was a destructive earthquake on the island of Kefalonia. The earthquake was preceded by many foreshocks, which began on 3 July and were felt in Kefalonia but were much stronger in Zante (PNE 1767, 10.30). The main event, which consisted of two closely spaced shocks, took place about one hour after midnight on Wednesday 11 July 1767 (O.S.) (Zoes 1893, 167).

In Kefalonia the district of Paliki suffered most. Lixuri was almost totally destroyed and, in spite of the fact that many people were still living in tents, 50 people were killed (Schn1idt 1879, 163; Tsitselis 1904, 434). The monastery of Vardiani collapsed completely.

Flour mills were destroyed, causing a shortage of bread. Excluding casualties at Paliki, 253 people were killed in the rest of the island, and many more were injured. In all 2642 houses were destroyed and 2946 were damaged.

Once again, owing to the large number of foreshocks and aftershocks, it is difficult to establish the exact time of the main shock. One of the earliest records of the event is a dispatch from the Proveditore Generale da Mar in Corfu, who notes that an earthquake was felt lightly there, being destructive elsewhere in the Ionian Islands (Albini 1990, 122), although he does not give a date. A much more detailed account is given by Mocenigo, the Counsellor of Zante, in a dispatch of 7 August 1767. He places the earthquake on 22 July 1767, at the twelfth hour (c. 6 am), with an aftershock on 4 August at '8.02' (ASV Mar, f.1014; c. 1.52 am; see the next entry). His description of the effects would appear to combine the two events. A codex from Kefalonia notes two earthquakes on 11 July (O.S. = 22 July N.S.) 1767, the second being more destructive than the first (Katramis 1880, 464); unfortunately, no times are given. (reference #9116)