The Hyblaean Mountains ( scn, Munt'Ibblei; it, Monti Iblei; la, Hyblaei montes) is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

in south-eastern

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It straddles the provinces of Ragusa,

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

and

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also b ...

. The highest peak of the range is

Monte Lauro Mount Lauro is a mountain reaching 986 metres located in south-eastern Sicily belonging to the chain of Hyblaean Mountains, stretching between the three provinces of Catania, Ragusa and Siracusa. Monte Lauro is part of a complex of extinct volc ...

, at 986 m.

History

The name derives from the

Siculi The Sicels (; la, Siculi; grc, Σικελοί ''Sikeloi'') were an Italic tribe who inhabited eastern Sicily during the Iron Age. Their neighbours to the west were the Sicani. The Sicels gave Sicily the name it has held since antiquity, b ...

king Hyblon, who gave a portion of his territory to Greek colonists to build the town of

Megara Hyblaea Megara Hyblaea ( grc, Μέγαρα Ὑβλαία) – perhaps identical with Hybla Major – is an ancient Greek colony in Sicily, situated near Augusta on the east coast, north-northwest of Syracuse, Italy, on the deep bay formed by the Xip ...

Geology

The range is composed of white

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

rocks, characterized by

Karst topography Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

. Originally a plateau, rivers have eroded the landscape, forming numerous deep canyons. In the coastal area

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

is also present. In some areas, such as that of

(once part of a submerged volcanic complex), volcanic rocks are also present. The hyblaean area is characterized by a high seismic risk.

Landscape

The Hyblaean Mountains are characterized by gentle slopes, interrupted by sharp valleys. In the central area are numerous woods which are intermingled with

dry stone Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their construction me ...

walls of typical of south-eastern Sicily. The more populated coastal area is characterised by terraced hills with Mediterranean vegetation, rising up to a plateau cultivated by olive trees,

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...

citrus fruit ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

and

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...

s. Other crops include grain and maize. Hyblaean Mountains host the archaeological remains of the medieval castles of

Ferla Ferla ( Sicilian: ''A Ferra'') is a town and '' comune'' in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily (southern Italy). The Necropolis of Pantalica, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica" is situated be ...

, Buscemi and Cassaro. Their discovery is relatively recent and mainly due to the archaeological campaign held in the area from 2011 to 2013.

Main sights

Main attractions of the area include the Baroque towns of Ragusa,

Modica Modica (; scn, Muòrica) is a city and '' comune'' of 54,456 inhabitants in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. The city is situated in the Hyblaean Mountains. Modica has neolithic origins and it represents the historical capit ...

and Palazzolo Acreide, the Necropolis of Pantalica and Cava Ispica.

Peaks

The main peaks of the Monti Iblei are: *

986m * Monte Casale 910m * Monte Arcibessi 907m * Serra Brugio 870m * Monte Raci 610m * Monte Racello 530m * Monti Climiti 410m

Rivers

The range is drained by several rivers, which flow into either the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

or the

Ionian sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including ...

References

Bibliography

* {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Italy Province of Ragusa Hyblaean Hyblaean