Apennines

The Apennine Mountains (Appennino, Appennini, in Italian) run for 1,400 kilometers from the north to the south of Italy and form the main axis of the Italian or Apennine peninsula, from the Gulf of Liguria to the peninsula of Calabria. The mountains are mostly covered in forest, although one face of the highest peak, the 2,914-meter Gran Sasso d'Italia, is partially covered on its north face by what is Europe's southernmost glacier since it melted. the Veleta glacier in the Sierra Nevada at the turn of the XX century The eastern slopes facing the Adriatic Sea are steep while the western zone ends in plains where most of the Italian historical cities are located.

During World War II the Germans used the Apennines as a defensive barrier, calling it the Gothic Line. It was unsuccessfully attacked in September 1944.

Geography

The chain, between two seas, forms an arc between the Gulf of Genoa in the Mediterranean and Naples near the Tyrrhenian Sea, the center of the arc nearing the east coast at Rimini (Adriatic Sea). The Apennines are divided into three main groups:

1. Them Northern Pennants (lights, tosco-emilians and cough-Romans), through the chain that is linked to the Western Alps. They are made up of clays and sandstones. This part of the chain has only a massif with peaks above 2000 meters: the Tosco-Emilian Apennines, which rise to 2165 meters. The mountains, quite rounded, form there a very linear chain, which decreases in height quickly in the surrounding hills and in the mountain ports, often routed by the roads, are between 700 and 1000 meters high. However, this part of the Apennines still preserves wild forests, especially between Tuscany and the Emilia-Romaña. The Apuan Alps, despite their low height (this massif culminates in 1946 m on Mount Pisanino) have peaks and defiladeros completely covered with vegetation, which gives them a look similar to sugar bread. In addition, these peaks abruptly decline towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, with numerous and impressive cliffs.
2. Them Central (mumbros and abrucenses), which are limestone. They descend slightly to the two seas. However, they form a large massif composed of several groups of mountains separated by narrow valleys parallel to the two seas. This part of the Apennines, which encompasses most of the Abruzzo mountains, extends from the Sibilin mountains to the north to the Matese mountains to the south. There are nine groups of mountains that exceed 2000 m above the sea level: the Great Sasso, Majella, the Velino-Sirente, the Sibilinos Mountains, the Laga Mountains, the Marsican Mountains, the Reatinos Mountains, the Simbruins Mountains and the Matese Mountains. The mountains are the highest of the Apennines, with often very abrupt mountains, and separated by mountain ports that are never below 1000 meters. In addition, large forests are home species of rare or exceptional flora and fauna in the rest of the Apennines. That's where the alpine landscape stands for excellence.
3. Them Southern Pennants (samnitas, campanos, lucanos and calabreses), whose composition are schist and crystalline rocks. They are very similar to the northern Apennines: mountains and low-rise ports, lined chains, with the summits more or less rounded, but descending almost vertically over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea. Its deep and inaccessible throats, and its peaks generally of little height, shelter large forested expanses populated by wolves. However, this is the only part of the Apennines that includes active volcanoes (Monte Etna, Vesubio and Campos Flégreos). The Etna is separated from the rest of the Apennines by the Mesina Strait. It is a separate mountain (a volcano) due to its geological composition, shape, height and also to its isolation from the rest of the chain.

The Apennines present, however, low-lying mountain ranges that are not geographically in the same chain. These isolated mountains include the Anti-Apennines (the equivalent of the Anti-Alps, in the Alps). Mention can be made of the Metalíferos mountains, Monte Conero, the Albanos mountains, the Lepinos mountains, the Circeo, the Gargano and the Vesuvius.

The highest mountain in the Apennines is Corno Grande, in the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif, with its 2912 meters above sea level in Abruzzo.

The Southern Face of the Great Corno.

There are 223 lofty (independent) peaks over 2,000 meters. These include:

1. 158 peaks horizon 2100 m
2. 97 peaks105 m
3. 58 peaks horizon 2300 m
4. 41 peaks 2400 m
5. 24 peaks over 2500 meters
6. 18 peaks over 2600 m
7. 9 peaks horizon 2700 m
8. 7 peaks  2800 m
9. 4 peaks 2900 m
10. 1 peak 3000 meters

The highest massifs are:

1. El Gran Sasso (2912 meters in Corno Grande) - Protected by the National Park of the Great Sasso and Montes de la Laga.
2. La Majella (2795 meters on Mount Amaro) - Protected by the Majella National Park.
3. El Velino Sirente (2486 meters in the Velino) - Protected by the Regional Park Sirente Velino.
4. Los Montes Sibilinos (2476 meters on Mount Vettore) - Protected by the National Park of the Sibilinos Mountains.
5. Los Montes de la Laga (2458 m on Mount Gorzano) - Protected by the National Park of the Great Sasso and Montes de la Laga.
6. The Marsican Mountains (2285 meters on Mount Greco) - Protected by the national park of the Abruzos, Lacio and Molise.
7. The Chicken Massif (2267 meters in Serra Dolcedorme) - Protected by the Pollino National Park.
8. The Reatinos Mountains (2216 meters on Mount Terminillo) - Not protected.
9. The Tosco-Emilian Apennines (2165 meters on Mount Cimone) - Protected by the National Park of the Tosco-Emilians Apennines.
10. The Simbruine Mountains (2156 meters on Mount Viglio) - Protected by the regional park of the Simbruine Mountains.
11. The Matese Mountains (2050 meters on Mount Miletto) - Protected by the Matese Interregional Park.

Mountain passes

They are little-known steps, but of great beauty. Some are covered by professional cycling tours that have run along their route, such as the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Mostly paved mountain passes will be listed, from highest to lowest altitude.

The main mountain passes of the Apennines are the following:

()¹: Pass only suitable for gravel bikes. Part of Campo Imperatore, 2100 m, the second highest paved climb of all the Apennines after the terrible Blockhaus, 2142 m.

Flora and fauna

Thanks to its many parks, the Apennines are relatively intact and well preserved. They are found there:

• The Apennians (2000 in the Central Apennines)
• The italic wolf (500-600 in the Apennines and the Central-West Alps)
• The Royal Eagle (50 pairs)
• The Bear of the Apennines (60 in the Abruzzo)
• The lion vulture (60 in the Abruzzo)
• The lynx (10 in the south of the Abruzzo)

There are also foxes, badgers, weasels, martens, stoats, otter, deer, and wildcat in the Northern Apennines. Among the birds we can see the Egyptian vulture in the southern Apennines, the red-billed chough, woodpeckers such as the black woodpecker, the pheasant and the eagle owl or grand duke in the south of Abruzzo. There are also some of the most endangered reptiles in Europe such as the Orsini viper, and amphibians such as the salamander. The Apollo butterfly is also found in the largest massifs of the chain.

The forests of the Apennines are similar to the forests of other European massifs. They extend between 800 and 1800 meters. The beech is the dominant tree, but there are also oaks, elms, chestnuts, larch, linden, and all kinds of shrubs. The native pines can still be found in the Monti della Laga, Gran Sasso and in the national park of Abruzzo. A birch forest still adorns the slopes of Mount Etna and Velino. Among the fruits of the forest, there are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants and blackberries. Among the mountain flowers we can name the yellow gentian, gentian, spring, the blue gentian of the Apennines, the peonies, the adonis, and you can even see the Edelweiss of the Apennines in the Monti Sibillini, in the Gran Sasso and in the Majella.

Sports and recreation

Many ski resorts are spread out in beautiful, uncontaminated valleys. The largest ski resort in the Apennines is Roccaraso, with 100 km of slopes, in Abruzzo. Tuscany offers the Abetone (50km of slopes), while Abruzzo has Campo Felice and Ovindoli (each with 30km of slopes).

The Gran Sasso is the true alpine landscape of the Apennines. Many hostels offer ski courses in the high mountains, excursions, mountaineering and climbing. In the torrents you can go rafting or canoeing. In addition, from almost all the peaks of the Apennines and in clear weather, one or two seas can be seen.

But there are also many open trails in the heart of the parks. The Abruzzo National Park was the first created in Europe (1922). The numerous parks that protect the Apennines, in addition to their function of preserving nature, revalue the towns and landscapes, which means that unlike the rest of Western Europe, the Apennine mountains are not on the way to depopulation and abandonment.

Pennants in Emilia (Pietra di Bismantova).