Monti Picentini

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rocky limestone landscape in the monti Picentini.
rocky limestone landscape in the monti Picentini.

The Monti Picentini is a mountain range in southern Italy, part of the Apennines, traditionally part in the Campanian Apennines. They are included between the Monti Lattari, the Partenio mount, the Irpinian plateau and the Sele river valley.

The highest peak is the Monte Cervialto (1,809 m), in the eastern sector, followed by the Monte Terminio (1,783 m), which is instead in the western part of the range.

[edit] Geology, landscape and climate

The range is comprised mostly of dolostone and limestone rocks, different from the surroundings areas, which are dominated by sandstone rocks. A central depression, joining the valleys of the Calore Irpino and Tusciano rivers, divided the range in two geologically different sectors: the western one, where rocks are predominantly dolostone, and the eastern one, mostly made up of limestone and has generally a less sharp landscape.

Karst topography is widely present, from which, in the valleys below, originates several springs.

Snow is present in winter over 1,000 m of altitude. Vegetation is generally low, somewhere mixed with chestnut woods.

Rivers starting from the Monti Picentini include:


Coordinates: 40°45′N 15°00′E / 40.75, 15