This book seeks to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of the 1667 Dalmatia earthquake
phenomenon on the basis of eyewitness testimony. At the same time one of the distinctive
features of this book is that the earthquake observations are treated and arranged in time and
space so as to provide earthquake data on the macroseismic intensity which might be used in
seismic hazard and risk studies. On April 6 1667 a devastating earthquake struck the
southernmost region of Dalmatia (Croatia). Most of the affected area at that time belonged to
the independent Republic of Ragusa the capital of which was the town of Ragusa today
Dubrovnik. The 1667 earthquake left behind a lasting scar on the history and life of the
Republic as it was the catalyst of a serious financial crisis. Both the economic and more
general consequences of this earthquake have been discussed in historiographical and
seismological essays in late 20th-century works. This book seeks to provide a comprehensive
reconstruction of the 1667 Dalmatia earthquake phenomenon on the basis of eyewitness testimony.
At the same time one of the distinctive features of this book is that the earthquake
observations are treated and arranged in time and space so as to provide earthquake data on the
macroseismic intensity which might be used in seismic hazard and risk studies. The book is
also intended as an extensive case history which allows the author to include some guidelines
on how to approach the study of a past earthquake and proceed to its full seismological
interpretation. In this respect a unique feature of the book is the comprehensive and detailed
analysis of the original documentary sources in their proper context effectively combining the
interpretative approaches of history and seismology.
