Apennines
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Apennines (anc. Mons Apenninus; It. Apennino): The principal mountain range of Italy, running for a length of about 700 miles down the spine of the Italian peninsula, and continuing across the strait of Messina into Sicily. It is separated at their NW end from the Maritime Alps by the Pass of Altore. In its northern section, the mountains are relatively low, reaching elevations of c900-c1200 meters. The central Apennines have significantly higher elevations, reaching there highest point in the Gran Sasso d’Italia (M. Corno/Corno Grande: 2,914 m), in Abruzzo). Further south in Basilicata, elevations fall again, but the mountains dominate SW Italy.
The character of the Apennines also changes significantly from north to south. In the northern and central sections of the range, limestone dominates. In the Sila mountains, which comprises the southern tip of the Apennines, the rocks are mainly granite. Many of southern Italy’s most notable mountains, like Albano, Vesuvius, and Vulture, are volcanic in nature and, thus, independent of the Apennines.