applied sciences Article Evaluation of Damages to the Architectural Heritage of Naples as a Result of the Strongest Earthquakes of the Southern Apennines Germana Gaudiosi 1, Giuliana Alessio 1 , Rosa Nappi 1,* , Valentina Noviello 2, Efisio Spiga 3 and Sabina Porfido 1,4 1 Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Napoli Osservatorio Vesuviano, Via Diocleziano, 328, 80124 Napoli, Italy;
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[email protected] (S.P.) 2 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-ISMed, 80124 Napoli, Italy;
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[email protected] 4 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-ISA, Via Roma 64, 80100 Avellino, Italy * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 4 August 2020; Accepted: 25 September 2020; Published: 1 October 2020 Abstract: The city of Naples (Campanian region, Southern Italy) has been hit by the strongest earthquakes located inside the seismogenic areas of the Southern Apennines, as well as by the volcano-tectonic earthquakes of the surrounding areas of the Campi Flegrei, Ischia and Vesuvius volcanic districts. An analysis of the available seismic catalogues shows that in the last millennium, more than 100 earthquakes have struck Naples with intensities rating I to III on the Mercalli–Cancani–Sieberg (MCS) scale over the felt level. Ten of these events have exceeded the damage level, with a few of these possessing an intensity greater than VII MCS. The catastrophic earthquakes of 1456 (I0 = XI MCS), 1688 (I0 = XI MCS) and 1805 (I0 = X MCS) occurred in the Campania–Molise Apennines chain, produced devastating effects on the urban heritage of the city of Naples, reaching levels of damage equal to VIII MCS.