Earthquakes in Bitetto
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 = 0.079 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Bitetto plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Bitetto
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Bitetto over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996NF3 April 1996
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 117 km away
- 1990III5 May 1990
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 92 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 126 km away
- 1962V21 August 1962
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.2), epicentre 153 km away
- 1857F16 December 1857
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 108 km away
- 1731VII20 March 1731
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Tavoliere delle Puglie earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 88 km away
- 1694VI8 September 1694
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 115 km away
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 33 km from Castelluccio dei Sauri-Trani, 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?
Bitetto is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
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 Bitetto?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bitetto area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 months ago.
Is Bitetto a seismic area?
Bitetto 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 Bitetto?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bitetto was magnitude 3.5, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Bitetto?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bitetto was 4 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)