Earthquakes in Nardò
Mar Ionio Settentrionale [Mare]
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 = 0.051 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Nardò 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 Nardò plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Nardò
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Nardò over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 196 km away
- 1984NF29 April 1984
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Umbria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 562 km away
- 1980IV23 November 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 236 km away
- 1978II24 September 1978
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 133 km away
- 1932IV30 March 1932
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bassa Murgia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 101 km away
- 1930IV23 July 1930
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 241 km away
- 1910NF7 June 1910
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 227 km away
- 1909VI20 January 1909
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Salento earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 9 km away
- 1905IV8 September 1905
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 231 km away
- 1901III13 December 1901
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Calabria earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 233 km away
- 1743IX-X20 February 1743
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Ionio settentrionale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 82 km away
- 1638NF27 March 1638
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 195 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 85 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
1 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Nardò 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 Lecce0 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Nardò?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Nardò area: the latest nearby dates back to 108 months ago.
Is Nardò a seismic area?
Nardò 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 Nardò?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Nardò was magnitude 2.2, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Nardò?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Nardò was 16 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)