Earthquakes in Altamura
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.
How seismic is this area?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.101 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Altamura plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Altamura
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Altamura over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2006IV29 May 2006
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 118 km away
- 1991V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 63 km away
- 1990V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 68 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 105 km away
- 1978V24 September 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away
- 1956IV9 January 1956
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 34 km away
- 1951IV16 January 1951
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 119 km away
- 1932IV30 March 1932
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bassa Murgia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 40 km away
- 1930V23 July 1930
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 105 km away
- 1910IV-V7 June 1910
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 94 km away
- 1875V6 December 1875
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Gargano earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 118 km away
- 1857VI16 December 1857
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 81 km away
…and 14 more documented effects in this town's history.
Source: Italian Macroseismic Database DBMI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The great earthquakes in this area's history
Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town lies about 22 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.
Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
Area over time
Earthquake map
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Altamura sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Bari0 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Altamura?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Altamura area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Altamura a seismic area?
Altamura is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
What was the strongest earthquake near Altamura?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Altamura was magnitude 3.5, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Altamura?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Altamura was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)