Alpi Cusiane

Alpi Cusiane
Alpi Cusiane
Prealpi Cusiane
	Mottarone summit
Highest point
Peak	Cima Altemberg
Elevation	2,395 m (7,858 ft)
Coordinates	45°56′10″N8°12′13″E / 45.93611°N 8.20361°E
Geography
	Alpi Cusiane
Country	Italy
Region/Provinces	Piedmont, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli
Rivers	Ticino, Sesia and Agogna
Settlement	Omegna, Stresa, Arona
Parent range	Pennine Alps
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny

Last updated September 17, 2024

The Alpi Cusiane (or Prealpi Cusiane^[1]) are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located in Piemonte (Italy).

Etymology

Alpi Cusiane literally means Alps of Cusio; Cusio is the geographical and historical area surrounding Lake of Orta, nowadays part of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

Geography

Administratively the westernmost part of the range belongs to the province of Vercelli, the southern part to province of Novara and the eastern and central ones to province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

Borders

Borders of the Alpi Cusiane are (clockwise):

Varallo Sesia, Mastallone creek, Tesslu pass, Strona creek, Gravellona Toce (north),
Lago Maggiore (east),
Po plain between Arona and Gattinara (south),
Valsesia from Gattinara to Varallo Sesia (west).

SOIUSA classification

According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine supergroup classified in the following way:^[2]

main part = Western Alps
major sector = North-Western Alps
section = Pennine Alps
subsection = Southern Valsesia Alps
supergroup =Alpi Cusiane
code = I/B-9.IV-B

Subdivision

The Alpi Cusiane are divided into two Alpine groups, none of them further subdivided in subgroups (in brackets is reported their SOIUSA code):

costiera Capio-Massa del Turlo ( I/B-9.IV-B.1)
massiccio del Mottarone ( I/B-9.IV-B.2)

These two groups are connected by a low saddle not faraway from Gozzano.

Geology

From the geological point of view the Alpi Cusiane are considered part of the Prealpine zone, divided from the crystalline zone of the Alps by the Insubric line. This important geologic fault forms the border between the Adriatic Plate and the European Plate. Hills and mountains located south-east of the line, like the Alpi Cusiane, can be considered part of southern Apulian foreland.^[3]

Notable summits

Name	metres
Cima Altemberg	2,395
Monte Capio	2,172
Massa del Turlo	1,960
Mottarone	1,491

Winter sports

In the Alpi Cusiane is located the ski resort of Mottarone, with 21 km of downhill skiing slopes; it's connected with Stresa by a cableway.^[4]

Related Research Articles

The Pennine Alps, sometimes referred to as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Italy and Switzerland (Valais).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biellese Alps</span> Mountain range in Italy

The Biellese Alps are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located between Piemonte and Aosta Valley (Italy).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mottarone</span> Mountain in Italy

Mottarone is a mountain in the Western Alps of Piedmont, north-western Italy, with an elevation of 1,491 metres (4,892 ft). It is located between the provinces of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Novara.

Monte Bo is a mountain in the Alpi Biellesi, a sub-range of Pennine Alps.

Colma di Mombarone is a mountain of the Biellese Alps, a sub-range of Pennine Alps, in northern Italy. It visually marks, along with Monte Gregorio on the opposite side, the entrance of Aosta Valley from the Po plain. On its top in 1900 was built a huge statue, still located there, of Jesus Christ.

Monte Barone is a mountain of the Alpi Biellesi, a sub-range of the Pennine Alps. Due to its isolation it offers a noteworthy point of view towards the Po plain and can be seen from quite a long distance away.

Bocchetta del Croso is a pedestrian pass across the Alpi Biellesi. It connects Cervo valley (BI) and Valsesia (VC), both in Piemonte (Italy).

Monte Tagliaferro is a mountain of the Pennine Alps. It is one of the most popular hiking destination of Valsesia.

Corno Bianco is a mountain of the Pennine Alps. It's a popular climbing destination of Valsesia.

Monte Orsiera is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the Province of Turin (Italy).

Monte Cresto (2,548 m) is the third highest peak of the Province of Biella after Monte Mars (2,600 m) and Monte Bo (2,556 m).

The Altemberg is a mountain in the Pennine Alps of north-western Italy; with an elevation of 2,395 m (7,858 ft) is the highest peak of the Alpi Cusiane.

The Monte Capio is a mountain in the Pennine Alps of north-western Italy; with an elevation of 2,172 m (7,126 ft) is one of the highest peaks of the Alpi Cusiane.

Monte Mucrone is an Alpine mountain of Piedmont.

The Monte Capezzone is a mountain in the Pennine Alps of north-western Italy; with an elevation of 2,421 m (7,943 ft) is the highest peak of the Strona Valley.

The Monte I Gemelli is an Alpine mountain located between Aosta Valley and Piedmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monte Zeda</span> Mountain in Italy

The Monte Zeda is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps belonging to the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italy).

The Monte Massone, at an elevation of 2,161 m (7,090 ft), is a mountain of the Pennine Alps in North-western Italy.

Monte Briasco is a mountain in the Alpi Cusiane, in Piedmont, northwestern Italy. It has an elevation of 1,185 metres and is located between the Valsesia and Lake Orta, at the border between the province of Vercelli and the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and the municipalities of Civiasco, Varallo Sesia, Cellio con Breia and Madonna del Sasso. It is renowned for the sight on the nearby lakes and the Pennine Alps.

Corno di Faller, also known as Monte Turlo, or Fallerhorn in Walser language, is a mountain of Piedmont, Italy, with an elevation of 3,128 metres (10,262 ft).

References

↑ AA.VV. (1913). Le Alpi (in Italian). Vol. 32. Club Alpino Italiano. p. 2010. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
↑ Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. p. 134. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.
↑ Falletti, Paolo; Chiara Girelli (2009). Itinerari geologici in Piemonte - La Valsesia. ARPA - Piemonte. ISBN 978-88-7479-120-0 . Retrieved 2019-04-08.
↑ Le piste del Mottarone, web page on www.mottaroneski.it (accessed on March 2012)

Maps

Italian official cartography ( Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it
I.G.C. (Istituto Geografico Centrale) - Carta dei sentieri e dei rifugi scala 1:50.000 n. 12 Laghi Maggiore d'Orta e di Varese

External links

Media related to Alpi Cusiane at Wikimedia Commons

www.mottarone.it

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[1] AA.VV. (1913). Le Alpi (in Italian). Vol. 32. Club Alpino Italiano. p. 2010. Retrieved 2019-04-08.

[soiu-2] Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. p. 134. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.

[3] Falletti, Paolo; Chiara Girelli (2009). Itinerari geologici in Piemonte - La Valsesia. ARPA - Piemonte. ISBN 978-88-7479-120-0 . Retrieved 2019-04-08.

[4] Le piste del Mottarone, web page on www.mottaroneski.it (accessed on March 2012)

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