397 



APENNINES. 



APENNINES. 



head or mountain height.' The best Latin authors applied the term 

 ' MODS Apenninus ' in the singular, as the moderns apply the plural 

 form Apennines to the whole mountain system, which extends in 

 an unbroken range from the Maritime Alps throughout nearly the 

 whole length of the peninsula. The Greek authors who mention the 

 name also generally use the singular form, but in Polybius and Strabo 

 the plural form occasionally occurs. 



The Apennines in a geographical point of view are a part of the 

 great system of the Alps, and form in fact the southern edge of 

 the basin of the Adriatic Sea, corresponding to a similar prolongation 

 of the Eastern Alps, which running in a parallel direction through 

 Croatia and Dalmatia forms the northern edge of the same basin. The 

 Apennine Mountains lie between 39 10' and 44 10' N. lat., 7 40' 

 and 18 20' E. long., including under the name the branches stretching 

 eastward through the Terra d'Otranto, and southward through the 

 greater part of the peninsula of Calabria. They are far inferior to 

 the Alps in height, the general elevation of the chain seldom exceeding 

 4000 feet, and the highest summit, Monte Corno in the spur called 

 II Gran tjnsso d'ltalia a little N.E. of Aquila, in the Jftiruzzo, 

 attaining only 9521 feet above the sea level an elevation considerably 

 below the line of perpetual snow in this latitude. The offsets from the 

 northern side of the main range are for the most part merely long ranges 

 of hills of gradual slope, which separate the numerous streams that flow 

 into the Po on the right bank or directly into the Adriatic. Towards 

 the Mediterranean the slope is much more abrupt and some of the offsets 

 are of a peculiar character, distinguished by the name of Sub-Apennines. 



The Apennines stretch in a north-easterly direction from the 

 Maritime Alps until they reach the pass of the Bocchetta, due north of 

 Genoa ; thence they continue to run eastward to the neighbourhood 

 of Poutremoli, from which point they extend in a general south-east 

 direction to within a short distance from the Adriatic, forming the 

 southern limit of the great plain of Northern Italy. . Near the source 

 of the Tiber the Apennines turn to the south-south-east, running 

 through the peninsula at a nearly equal distance from the coasts of 

 Iriatic and Mediterranean. Near the source of the Bradano a 

 long offshoot runs eastward and terminates in the low hills that 

 traverse the Terra d'Otranto, while the continuation of the main chain 

 runs southward through the greater part of Calabria. The length of 

 the chain is about 650 miles in a direct line; but including its 

 windings it is little short of 800 miles. 



The general outline of the Apennines presents neither the vertical 

 needles of the Alps, the sharp peaks of the Pyrenees, nor the long 

 rocky cliffs or escarpments of the Jura Mountains; their forms are 

 smooth, rounded, and wavy, bare rocks appearing generally only in the 

 highest parts. The great chain is usually divided into four principal 

 sections called the Ligurian, Tuscan, Roman, and Neapolitan Apennines. 



1. The Liywian Apennines encircle the Gulf of Genoa from the 

 Maritime Alps to Monte Gisa, north of Pontremoli, at the source of 

 the river Matrr.i, and from thence they stretch in a south-easterly 

 direction as far as the borders of Tuscany. The length of this section 

 is about 120 miles ; the crest of the mountain chain is from 7 to 30 miles 

 distant from the Mediterranean, and from 30 to 50 miles from the Po. 

 There is no natural break between the Alps and the Apennines, and 

 the point where the former terminate and the latter begin is variously 

 assumed by different writers. A little east of the sources of the 

 Tanaro however the mountains lose the height, breadth, and 

 massivcness which seem inseparable from our ideas of the Alps, and 

 here according to some the Apennines begin ; according to others the 

 line of demarcation between the two systems is the pass traversed by 

 the road from Savona to the valley of the Bormida, which is only 1300 

 feet high ; the pass of the Bocchetta, north of Genoa, is 2556 feet 

 above the level of the sea, but from this point there is a gradual rise ; 

 the average height ranging between 3000 and 4000 feet, while the 

 summits attain an elevation of above 5000 feet ; the breadth of the 

 group increases with the height, but does not anywhere exceed 25 miles. 

 The slope of the mountains toward the sea is abrupt, and broken by 

 numerous deep gullies, the beds of torrents which rush down with 

 prodigious violence when swollen by rains. On the Mediterranean 

 side there are only two rivers wjth a moderate length of course, the 

 Vara and the Magra, which, after uniting their waters, fall into the 

 gulf of Spex.ia ; but from the northern and eastern slope there are 

 many considerable streams, all tributaries of the Po the Bormida, 

 Scrivia, Trebbia, Nura, Taro, Crostollo, and Secchia. The beds of all 

 these riven are sometimes filled with great torrents, and at other 

 times nearly dry. The scenery of the Ligurian Apennines, particularly 

 on the Mediterranean side, is of the most varied and beautiful 

 description ; and in the celebrated pass of the Bocchetta, nothing can 

 be more magnificent than the prospect on issuing from the wild 

 mountain ravine, especially to those who there, for the first time, look 

 upon the dark blue waters of the Mediterranean. Between the basin 

 of the Po and the Gulf of Genoa the chain is traversed in several 

 directions by great roads, the principal of which run up the valleys of 

 the Tanaro, the Bormida, and the Lemma, and cross the Apennines to 

 Oneglia, Savona, and Genoa respectively. The communication between 

 the south of France and Italy is by the celebrated Corniche road, 

 begun nml<:r Napoleon and completed by the Siirdini:m government, 

 which runs along the sea coast from Nice to Genoa. The passes of the 

 Ligurian Apennines are exposed to violent storms in winter. 



2. The Tuscan Apennines extend from Monte Pellegrino to Monte 

 Cornaro, in 12 3' E. long., a distance of about 75 miles. In this 

 section the chain approaches nearest to the Adriatic, Monte Coniaro 

 being about 24 miles from Rimini, on the Adriatic, and nearly 100 

 miles from Orbitello on the west coast. The slope is rapid towards the 

 Adriatic in the southern part of this section, but in the northern part 

 the numerous long offsets slope gradually and directly down to the Po 

 on the coast of the Adriatic. On the western side the mountains throw 

 out numerous branches and fall gradually but not always directly 

 towards the Mediterranean, sinking southward into the low marshy 

 country of the Maremma, which borders all the Tuscan coast. Many 

 of these southern lateral ranges attain an elevation but little inferior 

 to that of the central chain. The rugged mass of the Alpi Appuani 

 which separates the Magra from the berchio, and which contains the 

 celebrated marble of Carrara, reaches in its highest point, the Pizzo 

 d'Uccello, a height of 5800 feet above the sea level. Monte Amiata, 

 west of Radicofani, in another oflshoot which separates the basins of 

 the Arno and the Tiber from the basin of the Ombrone, is 5794 feet 

 above the level of the sea. In a spur a little north of the crest of the 

 main chain is the highest point in this section of the Apennines, namely, 

 the Monte Cimone, (44 11' N. lat, 10 41' E. long.,) which attains the 

 height of 6973 feet above the sea. The communication between 

 Lombardy and Florence is by two great roads over the Apennines, the 

 one from Modena by the pass of Fimalbo on the west side of Monte 

 Cimone ; the other from Bologna by Lojano, through the pass of 

 Pietra Mala, at an elevation of 3284 feet. 



8. The Roman Apennines run nearly through the centre of the 

 peninsula from Monte Cornaro to Monte Velino, a distance of about 

 145 miles. In this section are the most lofty points of the Apennines ; 

 Monte Veliuo in the main chain north of the Lake Celano, 8183 

 feet high ; Monte Corno, before mentioned, 9521 feet ; Monte Sibilla 

 in the east of Umbria, 7212 feet; II Terminillo Grande, north of 

 Rieti, 7034 feet ; and the Monte Majella, a huge offshoot between the 

 Sungro and the Pescara, which in its highest point exceeds 9000 feet. 

 These are all covered with snow a great part of the year. The Roman 

 Apennines are of very considerable breadth ; they do not consist of 

 a single chain, but present several nearly parallel ranges in groups 

 separated by large upland valleys. The lake Celano, situated nearly 

 in the centre of the mass, is 2180 feet above the sea, and the valley 

 of the Aterno or Upper Pescara, which lies between the offshoot 

 containing Monte Corno and the main riclge'containing Monte Velino, 

 is not less than 2380 feet above the sea level. In this part, as in all 

 other parts of the Apennines, the highest groups and loftiest summits 

 are connected by ridges of comparatively small elevation, and therefore 

 affording natural passes across the chains. 



4. The Neapolitan Apennines include all that part of the mountain- 

 system of Italy which extends from Monte Velino to the source of 

 the Bradano, where the chain divides into two branches which inclose 

 the Gulf of Taranto on all sides except the south. In this section 

 the mountains generally are of much lower elevation, but still form a 

 vast mass of very irregular form and structure. The highest point is 

 Monte Miletto, in the eastern part of the Terra-di-Lavoro, near the 

 source of the' Voltumo ; it is 6744 feet high. The Monte Gargano, 

 though often described as an offshoot of the Apennines, is in reality 

 a distinct ridge. To the north of Monte Acido, the most southern 

 part of the main ridge of the Apennines, and not far from the right 

 bank of the Ofanto, is Mount Vultur, which is also entirely distinct 

 from the Apennines, being of volcanic origin. From Monte Acido a 

 chain of high hills rather than mountains stretches eastward through 

 the districts of Bari and Otranto, and terminates in the low hills between 

 the towns of Gallipoli and Otranto. From the knot of Monte Acido, in 

 the neighbourhood of Acerenza, the mountains also take a western 

 direction, and terminate in Cape Campanella opposite the rocky island of 

 Capri. The Monte San Angelo di Castelamare is the highest point in the 

 western branch, and attains an elevation of 4688 feet above the sea. 



The main chain of the Apennines stretches southward from the 

 neighbourhood of Acerenza into Calabria Ultra, and rises in many 

 places into mountains of great height. The most lofty of these, II Pollino, 

 on the southern limit of the province of Basilicata (about 40 N. lat.), 

 is 70'! 8 feet high. The chain runs close to the western shore of 

 Calabria Citra as far as the banks of the Savuto, a little south of 

 Cosenza; up the right bank of the Snvuto it turns eastward and 

 expands into the lofty forest-crowned mass of Sila, which fills up the 

 greater part of the space that projects eastward from Cosenza between 

 the gulfs of Taranto and Squillace. The highest point of the Sila is 

 4935 feet above the sea. After rounding the source of the Savuto the 

 main chain again turns south, and after continuing about 30 miles in 

 that direction abruptly terminates at a low neck of land about 20 

 miles across, separating the gulfs of Squillace and Eufemia. The 

 maps it is true represent the Apennines as continuing all through 

 Calabria to the Capi dell' Armi and Spartivento ; but of such small 

 elevation is the break just mentioned that Charles III. of Naples 

 proposed to cut a canal through it. South of this remarkable break in 

 the hitherto continuous chain of the Apennines rises the lofty and 

 rugged mass of .Aspromonte, the highest point of which lies to the 

 north-east of lieggio, and is 4500 feet above the sea level. The 

 Aspromonte runs south by west and terminates in the Capo dell' Armi, 

 the ancient Leucopetra. 



