The earthquake that hit much of Basilicata and Campania in 1857 turned out to be one of the most destructive of the nineteenth century and had a notable international resonance, coinciding with a delicate moment in the government of the last Bourbons. Although political instability did not contribute to the improvement or evolution of the seismic regulation of the mid-nineteenth century, some achievements were particularly innovative. This is the case of the foundation of the agricultural colony of Battipaglia in the current province of Salerno. Thanks to the archive documentation and the iconographic sources, it was possible to study the development of this urban center whose foundation was promoted by Ferdinando II to offer shelter and work to the peasants most damaged by the catastrophe.