The 2012 Northern Italy earthquake was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake, which struck about 36 km (22 miles) north of the city of Bologna in northern Italy at 4:03 am on 20 May 2012 local time (02:03 UTC) at a depth of 5.1 km. Initial reports list three casualties, a worker at a factory in Ferrara plus two other people. Several churches in towns around the epicenter suffered damage. The epicentre was near San Felice sul Panaro.  A 5.1 MW aftershock occurred approximately one hour after the main event. casualties are 6 dead and 50 injured at this time.

Alert level does not include impacts from earthquake-related hazards such as tsunamis, landslides, fires or liquefaction.  See more detailed via below link:

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BONDENO, Italy (Reuters) - A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday, killing at least four people, injuring dozens and seriously damaging historic buildings such as churches, bell towers and a mediaeval castle.

The quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey recorded at magnitude 6.0, struck at 4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT) while most people were sleeping, and thousands ran into the streets in their night clothes in panic.

"I ran out in my underwear," one man told Italian television.

The epicenter of the quake, the strongest to hit Italy in three years, was in the plains near Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of the Po river valley, and the tremor was felt as far west as Liguria, bordering France, and the Friuli region bordering Slovenia.

The roof of the cathedral in Mirandola collapsed. "Our school children were to receive their first communion here this morning. If it had happened then it would have been a disaster," the local priest said.

Also badly damaged was the 14th century Estense Castle in the town of San Felice Sul Panaro.

The tops of several of the smaller towers of the famous mediaeval castle, the town's biggest attraction, collapsed and there were fears that the main tower could crumble. Three of the town's churches were severely damaged.

One person, believed to be a Moroccan man working a night shift in a polyester factory, died when he was hit by falling debris, and two men, also on the night shift, were killed when part of a modern ceramics factory made of steel collapsed in the town of Sant' Agostino.

"He wasn't supposed to be there. He changed shifts with a friend who wanted to go to the beach," the mother of one of the victims told state television.

The lifeless body of a fourth victim was spotted under rubble in another factory.

GASHES, CRACKS, GAS LEAKS

The quake left a large hole and gashes in the side of the Sant' Agostino town hall, which officials said was in danger of total collapse. Gas was also leaking in the town.

"I am 83 and I have never felt anything like this," said Lina Gardenghi, a resident of Bondeno, the town where one of the workers was killed.

Two other people, one of them a German woman, were reported to have died after suffering heart attacks because of the quake, and several dozen people suffered minor injuries.

Rescue workers were checking reports that other people were buried under rubble and were preparing to house those whose homes had been damaged or destroyed.

There was serious damage to historic buildings and churches in the provinces of Modena and Ferrara, and the quake also shook major towns such as Bologna, Rovigo, Verona and Mantua.

A series of strong aftershocks hit the area, the strongest measuring 5.1, and local mayors ordered residents to stay in the open.

The quake was centered 22 miles north-northwest of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 6.3 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The last major quake to hit Italy was a 6.3 magnitude quake in the central city of L'Aquila in 2009, which killed nearly 300 people.

After that quake, then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi moved a G8 meeting that was to have been held in Sardinia to near L'Aquila in a show of solidarity with the victims.

(Additional reporting by Steve Scherer and Daniele Mari in Rome, writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Tim Pearce)

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The 1873 Alpago earthquake was an earthquake that occurred near the Italian city of Belluno on June 29, 1873. This took place in the geologically active Alpago Valley of the Veneto region; the zone is rated as two on a four-degree risk scale (one being the highest). The 6.3 magnitude quake was rated as 10th degree on the Mercalli Intensity Scale. Damage was reported mostly in the provinces of Belluno, Treviso and Pordenone: Thirty people died in the Alpago area, and ten more in the rest of the Province of Belluno. The towns of Rugolo, Cappella and Sarmede reported 16 casualties, but in San Pietro di Feletto, 38 people perished when the old church's roof collapsed while the morning mass in honor of Saint Peter, the city's saint, was being celebrated.  ON 1936-10-18, Bosco Cansiglio, Veneto earthquake magnitude 5.9 and Casualties were 19.

The most recent Italy earthquake before Northern earthquake, was in Sicily earthquake magnitude 4.7 in April 13, 2012 which the place was linked The most powerful in Italian history earthquake was in The 1693 Sicily earthquake refers to a powerful earthquake that struck parts of southern Italy, notably Sicily, Calabria and Malta on January 11, 1693 around 9 pm local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, the most powerful earthquake in Italian history which death toll was 60,000 back in 1693: time: 21:00.

A 5.1 MW aftershock occurred approximately one hour after the main event Northern Italy Earthquake 6.0   casualties are 6 dead and 50 injured at this time on May 20th, 2012.

CNN reported that 7 dead and it may occurred more .....meanwhile tent set up was done for 12,000 people and Italy Prime Minister, Mario Monti promises his support as soon as possible.

See more detailed info  Italy with this link

Sources: USGS, Yahoo, and wikipedia and CNN catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, , May 20th, 2012