GEOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION THE LEPINI MOUNTAINS The ancient Roman Lepinus Mons, is an imposing mountain chain situated in the southern part of Lazio whose name originates from the Latin Lapis (stone) to indicate its compact mass nature characterized by white limestone which impressed the primitive inhabitants of Latium Vetus (Ancient Lazio). The Lepini Mountains together with the Ausoni and Aurunci Mountains make up the Antiappenines of Lazio, also called the “Catena dei Volsci”. This group is positioned between the provinces of Rome, Latina and Frosinone (the point of the three meets right on the Lepini, to be
precise south of Fossa dei Felci at an altitude of roughly 1100m). On the north-west the Lepini mountains are separated by the Albani hills with the Arianna valley (Giulianello-Lariano-Valmontone), on the south-east by the Ausoni mountains with the Amaseno valley, and on the northeast by the Preappenines with the Sacco valley (valle Latina) and finally to the south by Monte Circeo and the Pontine marshes. The Lepino massif (which spreads across for roughly 800 square metres) consists of two parallel chains moving towards North-west and South-east, divided by the deep valleys of Rio, Casale and Pisciarello (tectonic line Montelan-
Wolf photographed on the 16 February 2019 near Sella del Semprevisa (© Petrella)
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