The main shocks of the September 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake triggered respectively 15 and 20 strong motion instruments at a distance ranging from 3 to 90 km from the causative fault. The characteristics of the recordings are analysed and compared with those predicted by the attenuation relationship valid for Italy. Damage surveys performed on buildings near the recording instruments and macro-seismic intensities are then used to calibrate damage-ground motion relationships. Fragility curves are finally compared with those obtained from other Italian earthquakes.