Rome and central Italy hit by 5.4-magnitude earthquake

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 has hit a broad swathe of central Italy, including Rome, on Wednesday.

The quake comes just two months after a powerful temblor toppled villages in the country, killing nearly 300 people.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Italy's National Vulcanology Centre said the epicentre was close to Macerata, near Perugia.

The US Geological Survey said it had a depth of some 10 kilometres, which is relatively shallow.

The quake was felt across a wide area of central and southern Italy, shaking centuries-old palazzi in Rome's historic centre.

The August 24 quake destroyed hilltop village of Amatrice and other nearby towns.

Wednesday's quake was felt from Perugia in Umbria to the capital Rome to the central Italy town of Aquila, which was struck by a deadly quake in 2009.

The mayor of Aquila, however, said there was no immediate report of damage.