Significant earthquakes of 1883

July 28, 1883 Earthquake: Casamicciola, Forino, Lacco Ameno, Ischia Is, Italy

July 28, 1883 · 2,313 deaths · 2,278 houses destroyed

An earthquake struck Casamicciola, Forino, Lacco Ameno, Ischia Is, Italy on July 28, 1883 at 20:25 UTC. It killed 2,313 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
July 28, 1883
Time
20:25 UTC
Place
Casamicciola, Forino, Lacco Ameno, Ischia Is, Italy
Intensity
10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
40.700° N, 13.900° E
Country
Italy

The toll

Deaths
2,313
Injuries
374
Damage
Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Houses destroyed
2,278

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.

1883, July 28, 20:25 UTC, 40.7 N, 13.9 E, intensity IX-XII. A disastrous shock over a smaller part of the island of Ischia, at Casamicciola 2278 houses were partly or completely ruined, also Lacco and Forio were destroyed,

2313 victims, not felt at the village Ischia and over a part of the island, not recorded by penduli of the Vesuvian Observatory. Aftershock: Aug. 3, 13h UT, Casamicciola, Foria, Barano VII? (reference #1099)

1883, July 28, 20:25 [local time], Casamicciola, 40 deg 45 min N, 13 deg 54 min E, intensity IX, aftershocks. (reference #1075)

1883, July 28, Casamicciola (Ischia), Italy, 2,300 deaths. Strictly local destruction, the area of destruction not being more than 3 km wide, suggesting very shallow focus. Probably volcanic earthquake. (reference #1003)

1883, July 28, Ischia, 2,317 deaths. (reference #1051)

1883, July 28, volcanic earthquake at Casamicciola. 80% of the houses of this city collapsed, 2313 died out of 26000 inhabitants. Intensity 10.5 (reference #1093)

1883, July 23 [28]. The towns of Cassamicciola, Forio,

and Lacco Amena, on the Island of Ischia, in the bay

of Naples, almost entirely destroyed; 1,900 lives lost,

and 374 persons injured. (reference #1073)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1883The 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 2324.