page_title: Seismic risk in Malta
section_title: Earthquake of 11 January 1693
hierarchical_section_title: Seismic risk in Malta / List of major earthquakes / Details of major earthquakes / Earthquake of 11 January 1693
caption_attribution_description: English: St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina, Malta. Designed by the architect Lorenzo Gafa, it was built between 1697 and 1702. Français&#160;: La cathédrale Saint Paul de Mdina, à Malte. L'édifica a été bâti de 1697 à 1702 sur des plans de Lorenzo Gafa.
context_page_description: Seismic risk in Malta is considered to be low with little historic damage noted and no known victims. The archipelago is however in a potentially significant seismic zone and the risk to the population is probably undervalued.
context_section_description: The earthquake of 11 January 1693 in Val di Noto is the most significant earthquake felt in Malta since the 16th century. In Sicily, it caused the death of around 60,000 individuals. With a magnitude of 7.4, it is considered to be the most powerful earthquakes in Italian history. The earthquake was preceded on 9 January by a precursory earthquake of a magnitude of around 5.9 which was strongly felt but did not cause damage.
  In Malta, the earthquake provoked panic among the population, with many Maltese refusing to go back to their homes in the nights that followed, seeking refuge in tents or underground shelters. No victims were reported.  The Order delegated its head engineer, Mederico Blondel to assess the damage. At Valletta, no building escaped unharmed by the earthquake, from simple cracks to complete demolition. The other towns of the Grand Harbour were considerably less affected. However, the old city of Mdina suffered more greatly as many of the buildings were older and were poorly maintained. Notably St. Paul's Cathedral was part destroyed – but the cathedral was already badly damaged before the earthquake, and so a reconstruction had already been planned. The Banca Giuratale in Mdina was equally damaged, and would be rebuilt in 1726 by Charles François de Mondion. At Rabat, the bell tower and the apse of the church of St. Paul came down. The Tal-Virtù Church suffered considerable damage, it was situated at a high altitude which was particularly susceptible to earthquakes.
  At Gozo, the walls of the Cittadella were damaged, but Blondel notes that the damage were more likely caused by years of neglect. The Cathedral of the Assumption, Gozo lost its bell tower.
  The considerable damage material in Malta has been attributed to the maximum earthquake intensity of 7–8.
caption: St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, damaged by the 1743 earthquake
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