Earthquakes in San Vito dei Normanni
Adriatico Meridionale [Mare]
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.048 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
San Vito dei Normanni 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 San Vito dei Normanni plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of San Vito dei Normanni
The earthquakes that were actually felt in San Vito dei Normanni over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990NF5 May 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 166 km away
- 1988NF13 April 1988
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 127 km away
- 1980IV23 November 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 206 km away
- 1978II24 September 1978
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 103 km away
- 1909IV20 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Salento earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 58 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 52 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
55 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
San Vito dei Normanni 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 Brindisi0 events · 30gPuglia region21 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in San Vito dei Normanni?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the San Vito dei Normanni area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is San Vito dei Normanni a seismic area?
San Vito dei Normanni 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 San Vito dei Normanni?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of San Vito dei Normanni was magnitude 3.7, in 2018.
When was the last quake near San Vito dei Normanni?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of San Vito dei Normanni was 14 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)