Monti della Laga
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Monti della Laga 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 arise ...
in the central Apennines of
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 re ...
. Their ruggedness and inaccessibility makes them one of the lesser known areas of the Italian peninsula.


Geography

The mountains run for a length of about between the Italian Regions of
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
, Marche and
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
. In doing so they border the Italian Provinces of
Teramo Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo. The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Itali ...
,
L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
, Ascoli Piceno and Rieti. Monti della Laga is cut off from the
Gran Sasso d'Italia Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies wi ...
mountain chain by the narrow
Vomano The Vomano ( la, Vomanus) is a 76 km river, which is in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its source is near Monte San Franco in Gran Sasso d'Italia and Lago di Campotosto in the province of L'Aquila. The river crosses the border into the provinc ...
Valley which itself leads to Passo delle Capannelle and the
Lago di Campotosto Lago di Campotosto ("Toughfield Lake") is an artificial lake in Abruzzo, Italy. The reservoir is located at an elevation of 1,313 m and comprises an area of 14 square kilometres. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Mo ...
(Lake of Campotosto). Within the Vomano Valley is the State Road SS 80. Also present are traces of a branch of the ancient Via Cecilia.


Land formations

The landscapes differ on the various sides of Monti della Laga. The Marche area is noted its harshness, Lazio for its profound steep banked gorges, and Abruzzo for its smooth undulating hills and valleys. The crest line begins at Monte Comunitore and leads up to the peak of Macera della Morte (standing at 2,073 metres where the three Italian regions intersect). It then rises once again to a height of 2,458 metres at
Monte Gorzano Monte Gorzano is the highest peak in the Monti della Laga, in northern Abruzzo, central Italy. It has an elevation of and is also the highest peak of Lazio. It is located on the boundary with the provinces of Teramo in the Abruzzo region and R ...
, the highest peak in this chain and the highest peak in the Lazio region. Nearby mountain peaks of note include Cima Lepri (2,445 metres), Pizzo di Sevo (2,419 metres), Pizzo di Moscio (2,411 metres) and, standing at the southernmost point of the Monti della Laga mountain chain, Monte di Mezzo (2,155 metres).


Geology

The landmass of Monti della Laga has a more rounded off characteristic in comparison with many of the other Apennine areas. This phenomenon is because the soil is far more
arenaceous Arenite ( Latin: ''arena'', "sand") is a sedimentary clastic rock with sand grain size between 0.0625 mm (0.00246 in) and 2 mm (0.08 in) and contain less than 15% matrix. The related adjective is ''arenaceous''. The equivalen ...
(sandy) and has marble formations that are not found in other parts of the central Apennine Mountains farther to north and the south. Hence the geological name given to the area, "Formazione di Laga". More characteristic of the Apennine mountains are soils, rocks, and land formations made up of coal and dolomitic limestone.


Waterways

The soil of this area tends to be rather impermeable, which leads to a good many streams and small lakes. The irregularity of the land results in several magnificent waterfalls. Among the most beautiful and best known are those of Morricana al Ceppo, Volpara a Umito, Le Barche, Le Scalette, and L'Ortanza near Amatrice. In the cold winter months they sometimes freeze over, thereby offering ice climbing opportunities.


Villages and hamlets

The area is not densely inhabited but is dotted with numerous small, and at times rather remote, villages.


Fauna

Living in this mountainous zone are numerous species of wild animals including the
Apennine wolf The Italian wolf (''Canis lupus italicus'' or ''Canis lupus lupus''), also known as the Apennine wolf, is a subspecies of the grey wolf native to the Italian Peninsula. It inhabits the Apennine Mountains and the Western Alps, though it is under ...
,
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
,
badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...
s, and the extremely rare
Marsican brown bear The Marsican brown bear (''Ursus arctos arctos'', formerly ''Ursus arctos marsicanus''), also known as the "Apennine brown bear", and in Italian, is a critically endangered population or subspecies of the Eurasian brown bear, with a range res ...
. Among insects the butterfly
Erebia pandrose ''Erebia pandrose'', the dewy ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae . It is found from the Arctic areas of northern Europe, the Pyrenees, Alps, the Apennine Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains, Kola Peninsula ...
has in these mountains its sole Apennine population.


Flora

The area is known for its vast and lush forests of
beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
, white pine,
oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
, chestnut,
maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...
, basswood,
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...
, and
holly ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
trees. Several uncommon
silver birch ''Betula pendula'', commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found ...
stands can be found. A variety of orchids abound, including one rare species that has no leaves.


Trails and hiking

Located in this area are several trails containing ''vado'', that is, narrow suspension bridges. They serve to link the opposing sides of the narrow valley passes and are now most used for hiking excursions. In times past these structures were rather rare and functioned as important transportation routes connecting Rome and the surrounding region of Lazio with Abruzzo and the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
. One of the most famous is called the ''Tracciolino di Annibale'', taking its name from the legend that Hannibal once traveled over this route on his way from
Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. Many of the high plains areas of Monti della Laga are grazed as sheep pastures. Traditionally, the herds travel to the area to spend the summer in these high, and relatively cooler, elevations, escaping the lowlands where little grass grows thanks to low rainfall. Throughout the area are the sheep droves used by shepherds for this
transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower val ...
, the migration of sheep and people in the fall and spring from
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
to
Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...
and back.


Attractions

* Amatrice *
Montagna dei Fiori {{Infobox mountain , name = Montagna dei Fiori , photo = , photo_caption = View of Monte Girella, the top of the Montagna dei Fiori group , elevation_m = 1,814 , elevation_ref = , prominence = , map = Italy , map_caption = Location in ...


Feasts and celebrations

For the past century and a half, on a high pasture known as Piano Roseto (a location midway between the villages of
Cortino Cortino ( Abruzzese: ') is a small town and ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Abruzzo in the Province of Teramo. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. The major part of the population lives in small hamlets d ...
, San Giorgio and
Crognaleto Crognaleto is a ''comune'' and city of slightly less than 2,000 people in the Province of Teramo, central Italy. Crognaleto sits at an elevation of and has its communal administrative offices in the ''frazione'' (outlying area) of Nerito. The c ...
), a livestock raising celebration, known as the ''Fiera della Pastorizia'' has taken place in early July.


See also

*
Gran Sasso Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies wi ...
* Apennine Mountains *
Valle Piola Valle Piola is a deserted village in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Torricella Sicura. Having been abandoned in 1977, all that remains are 9 abandoned houses, a church, ...


References

{{Authority control
Laga Laga may refer to: Places * Laga (East Timor), a subdistrict of Baucau in East Timor * Laga, Lochaber, a village on the north shore of Loch Sunart, Scotland * Club Laga, a concert venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2006 People * Ma ...
Laga Laga may refer to: Places * Laga (East Timor), a subdistrict of Baucau in East Timor * Laga, Lochaber, a village on the north shore of Loch Sunart, Scotland * Club Laga, a concert venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2006 People * Ma ...
Laga Laga may refer to: Places * Laga (East Timor), a subdistrict of Baucau in East Timor * Laga, Lochaber, a village on the north shore of Loch Sunart, Scotland * Club Laga, a concert venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2006 People * Ma ...
Laga Laga may refer to: Places * Laga (East Timor), a subdistrict of Baucau in East Timor * Laga, Lochaber, a village on the north shore of Loch Sunart, Scotland * Club Laga, a concert venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2006 People * Ma ...
Laga Laga may refer to: Places * Laga (East Timor), a subdistrict of Baucau in East Timor * Laga, Lochaber, a village on the north shore of Loch Sunart, Scotland * Club Laga, a concert venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2006 People * Ma ...
Province of L'Aquila Province of Ascoli Piceno Province of Rieti Province of Teramo