Rethinking the seismic history of the Gulf of Patti (NE Sicily, Italy): new insights from the local historical archives

Abstract

Improving the knowledge of the seismic history of a region plays a key role in the evaluation of recurrence relations for probabilistic seismic hazard analyses. In this study we present the results of an investigation carried out in two local historical archives in NE Sicily, Italy. Several letters, petitions, and reports describing the effects of some earthquakes that occurred between the 17th and the 18th centuries in the Gulf of Patti area were found and analyzed. This contributed to filling the knowledge gap about a series of moderate-to-large seismic events that were overshadowed by catastrophic earthquakes with major impact both on human losses and cultural heritage damages. We describe this experience in the hope that other historians will take up the work, looking for other NE Sicily local archives to investigate because we believe this is the right way toward a better definition of the seismic history of one of the most seismically active regions of Italy.