We present the results of a rapid and reliable study of 45 Italian earthquakes characterized by datasets with potential inconsistencies or inhomogeneities. The used methodology obviates the need for exhaustive earthquake re-evaluation, and it is particularly effective for the updating of medium and low events, with a large amount of low-intensity data. The result is a new dataset very useful in improving “seismic histories” and in contributing to the enhancement of the seismic hazard of an area.

ASMI, the Italian Archive of Historical Earthquake Data, is an online data collection that currently provides seismological data on earthquakes that occurred in and around Italy from from 461 BCE to 2025 CE. Based on more than 450 data sources, ASMI's web portal distributes earthquake parameters and macroseismic intensity data, along with the bibliographical reference of the data source and – if possible – the data source itself, through queries by both earthquake and data source.

The Rieti Basin in Central Italy, though surrounded by active faults, has been largely overlooked in earthquake studies. To better understand its seismic past, we dug 17 trenches and discovered evidence of 15 ancient earthquakes over the past ca. 20,000 years. The findings show that earthquakes in this area tend to cluster in time, likely due to stress shifting between nearby faults, and can reach a magnitude of 6.5.