Pre-1500s earthquakes in Ferrara (NE Italy) and an overrated source: first results of a critical revision

In the frame of the PRIN 2020 NASA4SHA project, a revision of the seismic record of the Ferrara (NE Italy) area was started for the period prior to A.D. 1500. Eleven earthquakes dated from 1234 to 1495 A.D. were considered. Nine of them are listed by the latest Italian parametric catalogue, CPTI15 v. 4.0, with epicentral parameters mostly derived from decade-old reference studies. Other two earthquakes are listed only by the oldest Italian parametric catalogue and had never been studied at all. The evidence available was critically analysed and placed in its proper historical context, special care being paid to a single source that, alone, provides evidence on several earthquakes. Some earthquakes result to have been overestimated, others appear to be non-existent and should be deleted from the catalogue.