The Maiella (or Majella) is a massif in the Central Apennines, in

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

, central

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Geography

The mountain is located at the boundary between the provinces of

Chieti Chieti (, ; , , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Southern Italy, east of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo, Abruzzo region. In Italian, the adjectival form is ''teatino'' and inhabitants of Chieti ar ...

Pescara Pescara (; ; ) is the capital city of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 118,657 (January 1, 2023) residents (and approximately 350,000 including the surround ...

and

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of the Province of L'Aquila and the Abruzzo region in Italy. , it has a population of 69,902. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the A ...

. The highest peak is Monte Amaro at 2,793 m, the second-highest of the entire Apennine range. The massif is at the centre of the

Maiella National Park Maiella National Park () is located in the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila, in the region of Abruzzo, Italy. It is centered on the Maiella massif, of which Monte Amaro is the highest peak, at elevation. It is one of Italy's 24 nation ...

. The Maiella is formed by a compact

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

massif, on which summit are the highest peaks in the group: Monte Amaro 2,793 m, Monte Acquaviva 2,737 m, Monte Focalone 2,676 m, Monte Rotondo 2,656 m, Monte Macellaro 2,646 m, Pesco Falcone 2,546 m, Cima delle Murelle 2,598 m. A further peak is the Blockhaus (2,145m), which is sometimes used as the finish of a stage of the

Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...

cycling race. Vast plateaus are present up to 2,500 m. The slopes are characterized by steep valleys and gorges, carved out by rivers such as the Orfento, the Foro and others. Nearby are the

Monte Morrone The Montagne del Morrone are a mountain group in Abruzzo, central Italy, part of the Apennines. Overlooking the town of Sulmona, they are bounded by the Valle Peligna, the river Aterno and the Majella massif. They are included into the Majella N ...

, Monte Porrara and Monti Pizzi groups. The Maiella includes an iced waterfall, known as ''Il Principiante'', located at 1,600 metres and having a height of 25 metres.

History

The massif was the site of the

1706 Abruzzo earthquake Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number) * One of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017, 2117 Science * Chlorine, a halogen in the periodic table * 17 Thetis, an asteroid in the asteroid belt Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American mag ...

, which measured 6.8 . It devastated many towns in Abruzzo.

Scientific research

The area of the Montagna della Maiella has been subject to a major international geoscientific research Project, TaskForceMajella, from 1998 up to 2005. Along the northern slope of the mountain for thousands of years, hydrocarbon extraction has occurred from spontaneous seepages and shallow wells.van Dijk, J.P. (2019); The 7000 Years Long Journey of the Majella Oil Men - The Fascinating Story of Central Italian Hydrocarbon Exploitation and Earth Sciences in the Val Pescara and the Montagna della Majella. 282 pp. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334290729_The_7000_Years_Long_Journey_of_the_Majella_Oil_Men_-_The_Fascinating_Story_of_Central_Italian_Hydrocarbon_Exploitation_and_Earth_Sciences_in_the_Val_Pescara_and_the_Montagna_della_Majella

Cycling

The Maiella, particularly the Blockhaus peak, is a popular ride for amateur cyclists and is also sometimes used for a stage of the Giro d'Italia. The first use by the race was in 1967, when

Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (born 17 June 1945), known as Eddy Merckx (, ), is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an ...

won the stage. Merckx subsequently went on to establish a cycle manufacturing company and named one of his cycles after the Blockhaus. Subsequent Blockhaus stage victors were

Franco Bitossi Franco Bitossi (born 1 September 1940) is an Italian former professional cyclist. He was born in Camaioni di Carmignano. Career Bitossi cycled for three years as an amateur and became a professional in October 1961, after he had reached the r ...

(1968),

José Manuel Fuente José Manuel Fuente Lavandera (September 30, 1945 – July 18, 1996) was a professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist and noted climbing specialist. Fuente was a professional from 1970 to 1976. He had the same nickname as his father an ...

(1972),

Moreno Argentin Moreno Argentin (born 17 December 1960) is an Italian former professional cycle sport, cyclist (from 1981 to 1994) and race director. Born in San Donà di Piave (Veneto), Argentin won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Tou ...

(1984),

Ivan Basso Ivan Basso (born 26 November 1977) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 1999 and 2015 for seven different teams. Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, was considered among the best mountain riders in ...

(2006),

Franco Pellizotti Franco Pellizotti (born 15 January 1978) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2018 for the Alessio, , and teams. Pellizotti now works as a directeur sportif for the team. Career Early ...

(2009, subsequently disqualified), and

Nairo Quintana Nairo Alexánder Quintana Rojas, Order of Boyacá, ODB, (born 4 February 1990) is a Colombian racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Nicknamed "Nairoman" and "El Cóndor de los Andes", Quintana is a specialist climber, known fo ...

(2017). The most recent inclusion of the Blockhaus on the Giro d'Italia was on 15 May 2022, when the stage was won by the Australian rider

Jai Hindley Jai Hindley (born 5 May 1996) is an Australian professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . Hindley is primarily a climber, notable for winning the Giro d'Italia in 2022. He was the first Australian to win the general classification, and o ...

. The Blockhaus climb will be used for the first time at the

Giro d'Italia Women The is an annual women's cycle stage race around Italy. First held in 1988, the race is currently part of the UCI Women's World Tour, and is currently organised by RCS Sport, the organisers of the men's Giro d'Italia. The race was previously ...

in the

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

edition of the race.

References

External links