SOIUSA (an acronym for Suddivisione Orografica Internazionale Unificata del Sistema Alpino - English: International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps-ISMSA [1] ) is a proposal for a new classification system of the Alps from the geographic and toponomastic point of view. It was designed by Sergio Marazzi, Italian researcher and author of the Orographic Atlas of the Alps SOIUSA. His book was presented with the patronage of the Italian Alpine Club on 23 Jan 2006, [2] but has yet to receive any formal acceptance.
The SOIUSA is an interpretation by Marazzi of the terrain of the Alps aiming to replace the traditional way the Alps were partitioned in Italy, the Partizione delle Alpi , which was adopted in 1926 by the Italian National Geographic Committee (Comitato Geografico Nazionale) after the IX Italian Geographic Congress (Congresso Geografico Italiano). [3] SOIUSA takes into account the European geographic literature normalizing and standardizing the different national classification systems in use. It was publicly presented in a lecture organized by the Italian Alpine Club's Milan conference of 6 April 2006, [4] following the publication of Marazzi's book.
The SOIUSA introduces the bipartition of the Alpine System (Western Alps and Eastern Alps) replacing the old tripartite division (Western Alps, Central Alps and Eastern Alps) by a multilevel pyramidal hierarchy according to identical scales and rules.
Mountain groups higher level: fractionated with morphological and altimetric benchmark taking into account the historical and geographical regions in the Alps.
Mountain groups lower level: divided with a benchmark mountaineering.
(With some relative sectors (SR) intermediate to groups above)
To any alpine mountain can be assigned a SOIUSA code, which shows to what part, sector, section, subsection, supergroup, group and subgroup the mountain belongs.
Example:
SOIUSA parametres for Pointe Sommeiller (Fr) / Punta Sommeiller (It) are: Main part:Western Alps Major sector:Southwestern Alps Section:Cottian Alps Subsection:Northern Cottian Alps Supergroup:chaîne Bernaude-Pierre Menue-Ambin (Fr) / catena Bernauda-Pierre Menue-Ambin (It) Group: groupe d'Ambin (Fr) / gruppo d'Ambin (It) Subgroup:crête Sommeiller-Vallonetto (Fr) / sottogruppo Sommeiller-Vallonetto (It) Code:I/A-4.III-B.6.b |
Names of higher level groups are given in the four main languages spoken in the Alps (German, French, Italian, Slovene) and in English, while lower level groups are just named in the language/languages of the concerned country/countries.
Examples: [5]
From the line Savona - Bocchetta di Altare - Montezemolo - Mondovì to the line Rhine - Splügen Pass - Lake Como - Lake Lecco; [6] [7] they are divided in 14 sections (in brackets their highest summit).
From the line Rhine - Splügen Pass - Lake Como - Lake Lecco [6] to the line Vienna-Sopron-Köszeg-Graz-Maribor and Godovič Pass; they are divided in 22 sections (in brackets their highest summit).
Pizzo Tre Signori is a mountain in the Bergamo Alps, with an elevation of 2,554 metres (8,379 ft).
The Gazzirola is a mountain of the Lugano Prealps on the Swiss-Italian border. Its summit is the highest point of the municipality of Lugano.
Mont Bégo is a mountain in the Mercantour massif of the Maritime Alps, in southern France, with an elevation of 2,872 metres (9,423 ft). It is included in the Vallée des Merveilles.
Pizzo Camino is a mountain in the Bergamo Prealps, with a height of 2,492 metres (8,176 ft).
Monte Tombea is a mountain of Lombardy, Italy. It has an elevation of 1,976 metres.
Monte San Primo is a mountain of Lombardy, Italy. It is 1,682 metres (5,518 ft) high and belongs to the province of Como.
Monte Tremalzo is a mountain between Lombardy and Trentino Alto Adige, Italy.
Pizzo Recastello is a mountain of Lombardy, Italy. It is located within the Bergamo Alps.
The Western Rhaetian Alps are a mountain range in the central part of the Alps.
The Eastern Rhaetian Alps are a mountain range in the central part of the Alps.
SOIUSA code is the code used in the International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps, a proposal by Italian Alpinist, Sergio Marazzi, to re-categorize the mountains and mountain ranges of the Alps. The proposal has been aired since 2005 but has yet to receive official recognition.
The Slovene Prealps or the Slovenian Prealps are a group of mountain ranges in the eastern part of the Alps. They are located in Slovenia and, for a small part of their northernmost area, in Austria.
The Northern Styrian Alps is the proposed name for a subdivision of mountain ranges in an as-yet-unadopted classification of the Alps located in Austria.
The Northern Salzburg Alps are a mountain range located in Austria.
The Carinthian–Slovenian Alps are a mountain range in the eastern part of the Alps. They are located in Slovenia, Austria and, for a very small area in westernmost part of the range, in Italy.
The Bergamasque Alps and Prealps are a mountain range in the southern part of the Alps. They are located in Lombardy, in the northern part of Italy.
The Carnic and Gailtal Alps is a geographic grouping of mountain ranges belonging to the Southern Limestone Alps. They are located in Austria and Italy.
The Julian Alps and Prealps are a mountain range in the eastern part of the Alps. They are located in Slovenia and in Italy.
Monte Cadria is a mountain in the Alps located in Italy. It is the highest peak of the Brescia and Garda Prealps.
The Ligurian Prealps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. They belong to the Ligurian Alps and are located between the regions of Piemonte and Liguria. Their highest summit is the monte Armetta, at an elevation of 1,739 metres (5,705 ft).