August 14, 1851 Earthquake: Melfi, Rapolla, Barile, Rionero, MT Vulture, Italy
An earthquake struck Melfi, Rapolla, Barile, Rionero, MT Vulture, Italy on August 14, 1851 at 01:23 UTC. It killed 671 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
- August 14, 1851
- Time
- 01:23 UTC
- Place
- Melfi, Rapolla, Barile, Rionero, MT Vulture, Italy
- Intensity
- 11 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.000° N, 15.700° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 671
- 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.
August 14, 1851, 01:23 UTC, 41 N, 15.7 E, intensity X-XI.
Melfi completely ruined, 1-2 m cracks in the ground, similar disastrous effects also at Barile (partly ruined), Rionero, Rapolla, Atella, Venosa, Lavello, Monteverde, felt at Lecce, Ischia, Caserta, 62 victims. (reference #1099)
August 14, 1851. Great disaster in the area of the Mount Vultur. The town of Melfi was completely destroyed and those of Barile, Rappola and Rionero half destroyed. 671 dead including 444 in Melfi. Material losses: 2 million ducats. (reference #1093)
August 14, 1851, 13:22 UTC, Vulture, 41 deg N, 15 deg 40 min E, intensity X-XI. (reference #1075)
August 14, 1851, Italy, Melfi, Rionero, Barile, Rapella in (Basilicata), intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
August 14, 1851, in South Italy; Melfi almost laid
in ruins; 14,000 lives lost. (reference #1073)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 5, 1456, Avellino,napoli,abruzzi, Brindisi,benevento, Italy
- December 16, 1857, Campania, Potenza, Italy
- September 16, 1857, Calabria,montemurro, Italy
- July 26, 1805, Molise, Rosolone, Napoli (Naples), Isernia, Italy
- July 30, 1627, Lesina, Italy
- November 23, 1980, Avellino, Potenza, Caserta, Naples, Italy
- September 8, 1694, Calitri, Italy
- July 17, 1361, Basilicata to Pouilles, 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
- January 1688, Pisticci, Italy
- November 29, 1732, Ariano, Lucanie, Avellino, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1851The 1800sRecent 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 1918.