The (Italian for "Partition of the Alps", , ) is a classification of the mountain ranges of the Alps, that is primarily used in Italian literature, but also in France and Switzerland. It was devised in 1926.
This classification system entails a division of the main arc of the Alps into the (Western Alps), (Central Alps) and (Eastern Alps).
Structure
The basic structure is based on the three main divisions. These were further subdivided into 26 sections" and 112 "groups".
The "Western Alps", in this classification run from the Bocchetta di Altare/Colle di Cadibona, usually accepted as the boundary between the Alps and the Apennines, to the Col Ferret (just west of the Great Saint Bernard) between the Aosta Valley and Valais (upper Rhone valley). Its highest peak is Mont Blanc (4,810 m). The boundary between the western and central arc of the Alps is the line Ivrea – Aosta Valley – Italian Val Ferret – Col Ferret – Swiss Val Ferret – Martigny-Ville – eastern end of Lake Geneva near Montreux/Vevey The "Central Alps" run from the Col Ferret to the Brenner Pass. Their highest summit is Monte Rosa (4,611 m). The eastern section is bounded by the line of the Adige valley – valley of the Eisack – Brenner – valley of the Sill – Innsbruck – Lower Inn Valley as far as Rosenheim The "Eastern Alps", run from the Brenner as far as Rijeka, including Istrien and Gorski kotar. The Großglockner (3,798 m) is the highest peak of the Eastern Alps.
The term "Central Alps" should not be confused with the Central Alps within the north-to-south division of the Eastern Alps.
History and reception This classification of the Alps was compiled in 1926 on the occasion of the IXth Congresso Geografico Italiano and published in the Nomi e limiti delle grandi parti del Sistema Alpino ("Names and Boundaries of the Major Elements of the Alpine System").
The system covered the entirety of the Alps and not just that part of the Alps that lay on Italian soil. In spite of that, the classification is focussed on Italy, because it does not employ the usual bipartite division, and in general the subdivisions usually used in other countries were ignored. It was seen as flawed because it included regions that, according to research, were not part of the Alps.
The following have been cited by Marazzi as basic shortcomings and inconsistencies: the inclusion of the Massif des Maures, which does not belong to the Alpine system either tectonically or geologicallyRaoul Blanchard: Les Alpes Occidentales. 7 vols., Arthaud, Paris, 1938–56. the Monts de Vaucluse, Montagne de Lure and the Luberon Massif were not counted as pre-alps of the Dauphiné in French literature, but as part of Provence, because they lay within that region. Moreover, the Provence Alps also include the "Prealps of Digne" (Préalpes de Digne), that were placed under Prealpi di Provenza (Provence Prealps, ) in the Prealpi svizzere (Swiss Prealps) more northerly regions are included that, according to Swiss geographic literature, do not belong to the Alpine region, but to the Central Plateau, as part of the northern Alpine Foreland the Alpi Noriche (Noric Alps) cover far too large an area in comparison with the groups given in Austrian literature (rather excessively the Tux Alps, the whole Tauern, the Alps of Styria and Carinthia are incorporated into the Noric Alps) the Alpi bavaresi (Bavarian Alps), the Alpi salisburghesi (Salzburg Alps) and the Alpi austriache (Austrian Alps) are based on archaic concepts, the terms are used entirely differently in the German-speaking region the inclusion of the Karst in a broad sense and Istria in the Alpine system, which, today, are considered part of the Dinaric Alps
More up to date versions of this system are found in standard works like the Dictionnaire encyclopédique des Alpes (2006) or Il Grande Dizionario Enciclopedico delle Alpi (2007).
Sections and groups of the three Alpine divisions
No. English name Italian name French / Slovenian names French names are used in the Western Alps and Western Central Alps, Slovenian in the Southern Eastern Alps. German name Groups (i.e. ranges)(English names in brackets) Western Alps Westalpen From Colle di Cadibona to the Col Ferret1 Maritime Alps Meeralpen, Seealpen 1a Alpi liguri/Alpes ligures (Ligurian Alps) 1b Alpi del Var 1c Prealpi di Nizza/Préalpes de Nice, Préalpes Niçoises (Nice Prealps)2 Cottian Alps Cottische Alpen 2a Alpi Cozie meridionali, Gruppo del Monviso (Southern Cottian Alps) 2b Alpi Cozie centrali, Alpi del Monginevro (Central Cottian Alps →Col de Montgenèvre) 2c Alpi Cozie settentrionali Catena del Cenisio/Massif du Mont-Cenis (Northern Cottian Alps) 3 Graian Alps Grajische Alpen 3a Gruppo del Gran Paradiso 3b Alpi della Tarantasia 3c Gruppo del Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc Group)4 Provence Alps Provenzalische Alpen 4a Gruppo dell'Asse 4b Gruppo della Bléone 5 Dauphiné Alps Dauphiné-Alpen, Dauphinéer Alpen 5a Gruppo del Champsaur 5b Massiccio del Pelvoux 5c Alpi di Moriana6 Provence Prealps Provenzalische Voralpen 6a Chaînes des Plans 6b Montagne di Sainte Victoire 6c Catena della Sainte Baume 6d Monti dei Maures e dell'Esterel/Massif des Maures et Esterel 7 Dauphiné Prealps Dauphiné-Voralpen, Dauphinéer Voralpen 7a Montagna del Luberon 7b Montagne di Valchiusa 7c Massiccio del Dévoluy 7d Vercors8 Savoy Prealps, Savoy Alps Savoie-Voralpen, Savoie-Alpen, Savoier Alpen 8a Alpi dello Sciablese (Chablais Alps) 8b Catena del Reposoir 8c Baujes 8d Massiccio della Grande Chartreuse Central Alps Zentralalpen From Col Ferret to the Brenner Pass9 Pennine Alps Penninische Alpen 9a Alpi del Vallese (Valais Alps) 9b Gruppo della Val Sesia (Valsesia Group)10 Lepontine Alps Lepontinische Alpen 10a Gruppo del Monte Leone (Monte Leone Group) 10b Gruppo dell'Adula (Adula Alps) 10c Alpi Ticinesi (Tessine Alps)11 Rhaetian Alps Rätische Alpen 11a Gruppo dell'Albula e Silvretta (Albula Alps and Silvretta) 11b Gruppo della Plessur (Plessur Alps) 11c Catena del Reticone (Rätikon) 11d Gruppo del Ferwall (Verwall Alps) 11e Gruppo del Bernina (Bernina Group) 11f Gruppo dell'Umbraglio (Umbrail Group) 11g Alpi Venoste (Vintschgau Alps) 11h Alpi Breonie (roughly corresponds to the Stubai Alps) 11i Alpi Sarentine (Sarntal Alps) 11j Gruppo dell'Ortles (Ortler Alps) 11k Monti della Val di Non (Nonstal Alps, Nonsberg Alps) 11l Gruppo dell'Adamello (Adamello Group) 11m Dolomiti di Brenta (Brenta group) 12 Bernese Alps Berner Alpen 12a Massiccio del Finsteraarhorn (Finsteraarhorn Massif) 12b Gruppo del Wildhorn (Wildhorn Group) 12c Alpi Urane (Uri Alps)13 Glarus Alps Glarner Alpen 13a Gruppo del Tödi (Tödi Group) 13b Gruppo della Sardona (Surenstock)14 Swiss Prealps Schweizer Voralpen 14a Prealpi della Simmental (Simmental Alps) 14b Prealpi dell'Emmental (Emmental Alps) 14c Prealpi della Linth (Linth Alps)15 Bavarian Alps – Bayrische Alpen 15a Alpi dell'Algovia (Allgäu Alps) 15b Alpi della Lechtal (Lechtal Alps) 15c Monti dell'Achensee (Achensee Mountains)16 Lombard Prealps – Lombardische Voralpen, Lombardische Alpen 16a Prealpi Luganesi (Lugano Prealps) 16b Alpi Orobie (Orobian Alps) 16c Prealpi Bergamasche (Bergamasque Alps) 16d Prealpi Bresciane (Brescene Alps) 16e Prealpi Giudicarie 16f Gruppo del Monte Baldo Eastern Alps Ostalpen From Brenner to Rijeka17 Noric Alps – Norische Alpen 17a Prealpi del Tux (Tux Alps) 17b Alpi della Zillertal (Zillertal Alps) 17c Alti Tauri (High Tauern) 17d Bassi Tauri (Low Tauern) 17b Alpi Carinziane (Carinthian Alps) 18 Dolomites – Dolomiten 18a Alpi di Gardena e Fassa 18b Gruppo della Marmolada 18c Alpi di Ampezzo e Cadore 18d Alpi della Valsugana e di Primiero 19 Carnic Alps Karnische Alpen 19a Alpi della Gail (Gailtal Alps) 19b Alpi di Tolmezzo20 Julian Alps Julische Alpen 20a Alpi Giulie settentrionali (Northern Julian Alps) 20b Alto Carso (High Karst) 20c Carso Corniolino (Krain Karst) 21Kamnik-Savinja AlpsAlpi di Kamnik e della SavinjaKamniško-Savinjske AlpeSteiner Alpen21a Kamniške Alpe (Kamnik Alps) 21b Savinjske Alpe (Savinja Alps)22Karawanks Karawanken 22a Catena delle Caravanche (Karawanks chain) 22b Monti di Bacher (Bacher Mountains/Kamnic Alps)23Salzburg Alps – Salzburger Alpen 23a Alpi di Kitzbühel (Kitzbühel Alps) 23b Monti Steinernes MeerMonti Steinernes Meer means the entire Berchtesgaden Alps, not just the Steinernes Meer 23c Monti del Kaiser (Kaiser Mountains) 23d Monti dello Stein (Lofer and Leogang Mountains) 23e Monti di Tennen (Tennen Mountains) 23f Monti del Dachstein (Dachstein Group)24Austrian Alps – 24a Monti Totes (Totes Gebirge) 24b Gruppo del Pyhrgas (Phyrgas Group) 24c Monti di Sengsen (Sengsen Mountains) 24d Alpi di Ennstal (Ennstal Alps) 24e Gruppo dello Hochschwab (Hochschwab Group) 24f Alpi di Rax (Raxalpe) 24g Gruppo dello Schneeberg (Schneeberg Group) 24h Prealpi dell'Ötscher (Ötsch Prealps) 24i Selva Viennese (Vienna Woods)25Styrian Alps – Steirische Alpen, Steirische Voralpen 25a Alpi di Stub (Stubalpe) 25b Alpi di Glein (Gleinalpe) 25c Alpi di Hoch (Hochalpe) 25d Alpi di Kor (Koralpe) 25e Monti di Windische Bühel 25f Monti Stiriani (Styrian Prealps) 25g Monti di Bucklige Welt 25b Monti di Rosalia (Rosalian Mountains)26Venetian Alps Venetische Alpen, Venetische Voralpen 26a Monti Lessini (Lessine Alps) 26b Altopiano di Asiago 26c Monte Grappa 26d Prealpi Bellunesi (Bellunese Prealps) 26e Prealpi Carniche (Carnic Prealps) 26f Prealpi Giulie (Julian Prealps)27Karst Karst 27a Piccolo Carso (Little Karst) 27b Carso istriano (Istrian Karst)
Table notes
Footnotes
See also Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, Moriggl, 1924, 1984 revision. SOIUSA, an unofficial Italian proposal from 2005
References
Literature Comitato Geografico Nazionale Italiano (ed.): Nomi e limiti delle grandi parti del Sistema alpino. In L'Universo. Anno Vili, no. 9, Florence, 1926. G. Bertoglio, G. De Simoni: Partizione delle Alpi (in 220 gruppi). Tipografia Alzani, Pinerolo, 1980. AA. VV.: Guida dei monti d'Italia. 60 vols., TCI-CAI, Milan, 1936–97.