Resident's in parts of Naples and the surrounding province were spooked on Sunday when a 3.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the Campi Flegrei volcanic caldera at a depth of 2km, according to ANSA.
There were no initial reports of anyone being hurt or of major damage.
The Campi Flegrei area, also known the Phlegrean Fields in English, is currently being affected by bradyseism, or ground uplift, and there have been a series of earthquakes over the last year.
Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci has appointed a special commissioner for the Campi Flegrei area to take care of risk-prevention measures.
The minister has complained about how urban development had been allowed in the area.
