Earthquakes in Ostuni
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?
The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
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 = 0.052 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Ostuni sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.
That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.
The “area” is Ostuni plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Ostuni
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Ostuni over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990III5 May 1990
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 151 km away
- 1988III-IV13 April 1988
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 127 km away
- 1984NF29 April 1984
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Umbria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 501 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 190 km away
- 1978NF24 September 1978
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 88 km away
- 1951NF16 January 1951
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Gargano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 183 km away
- 1947NF11 May 1947
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 245 km away
- 1905NF26 November 1905
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Irpinia earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 215 km away
- 1904NF8 April 1904
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Gargano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 187 km away
- 1897F28 May 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 422 km away
- 1857F16 December 1857
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 148 km away
- 1743VII20 February 1743
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Ionio settentrionale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 143 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 38 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
58 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Ostuni records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Brindisi0 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Ostuni?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Ostuni area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Ostuni a seismic area?
Ostuni is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
What was the strongest earthquake near Ostuni?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Ostuni was magnitude 3.7, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Ostuni?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Ostuni 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)