The Partizione delle Alpi (Italian for "Partition of the Alps", German: Einteilung der Alpen, French: Partition des Alpes) 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 Alpi Occidentali (Western Alps), Alpi Centrali (Central Alps) and Alpi Orientali (Eastern Alps).
Structure
Mountain ranges of the Partizione delle Alpi and international borders
The basic structure is based on the three main divisions. These were further subdivided into 26 sections" and 112 "groups".
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:[1]
the inclusion of the Massif des Maures, which does not belong to the Alpine system either tectonically or geologically[2]
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)[3] or Il Grande Dizionario Enciclopedico delle Alpi (2007).[4]
^Raoul Blanchard: Les Alpes Occidentales. 7 vols., Arthaud, Paris, 1938–56.
^Sylvain Jouty; Dominique Vulliamy (2006), Pascal Kober (ed.), Dictionnaire encyclopédique des Alpes [Encyclopaedia of the Alps] (in French), Grenoble: Glénat, ISBN978-2723454605
^Enrico Camanni, ed. (2007), Il Grande Dizionario Enciclopedico delle Alpi [The great encyclopedic dictionary of the Alps] (in Italian), with Federica Beux, Francesca Panero and Pierangela Piazza; translated by Anna Maria Foli, Scarmagno: Priuli & Verlucca, ISBN978-88-8068-392-6
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.
