Partizione delle Alpi

The Partizione delle Alpi 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, Alpi Centrali and Alpi Orientali.

Structure

The basic structure is based on the three main divisions. These were further subdivided into 26 sections" and 112 "groups".

The "Western Alps", in this classification run from the Bocchetta di Altare/Colle di Cadibona, usually accepted as the boundary between the Alps and the Apennines, to the Col Ferret between the Aosta Valley and Valais. Its highest peak is Mont Blanc.
: The boundary between the western and central arc of the Alps is the line Ivrea – Aosta Valley – Italian Val Ferret – Col Ferret – Swiss Val Ferret – Martigny-Ville – eastern end of Lake Geneva near Montreux/Vevey
The "Central Alps" run from the Col Ferret to the Brenner Pass. Their highest summit is Monte Rosa.
: The eastern section is bounded by the line of the Adige valley – valley of the Eisack – Brenner – valley of the Sill – Innsbruck – Lower Inn Valley as far as Rosenheim
The "Eastern Alps", run from the Brenner as far as Rijeka, including Istrien and Gorski kotar. The Großglockner 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.
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:

the inclusion of the Massif des Maures, which does not belong to the Alpine system either tectonically or geologically
the Monts de Vaucluse, Montagne de Lure and the Luberon Massif were not counted as pre-alps of the Dauphiné in French literature, but as part of Provence, because they lay within that region. Moreover, the Provence Alps also include the "Prealps of Digne" , that were placed under Prealpi di Provenza
in the Prealpi svizzere 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 cover far too large an area in comparison with the groups given in Austrian literature
the Alpi bavaresi, the Alpi salisburghesi and the Alpi austriache 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 or Il Grande Dizionario Enciclopedico delle Alpi.

Sections and groups of the three Alpine divisions

No.	English name	Italian name	French / Slovenian names	German name	Groups
	Western Alps			Westalpen	From Colle di Cadibona to the Col Ferret
1	Maritime Alps			Meeralpen, Seealpen	1a Alpi liguri/Alpes ligures 1b Alpi del Var 1c Prealpi di Nizza/Préalpes de Nice, Préalpes Niçoises
2	Cottian Alps			Cottische Alpen	2a Alpi Cozie meridionali, Gruppo del Monviso 2b Alpi Cozie centrali, Alpi del Monginevro 2c Alpi Cozie settentrionali Catena del Cenisio/Massif du Mont-Cenis
3	Graian Alps			Grajische Alpen	3a Gruppo del Gran Paradiso 3b Alpi della Tarantasia 3c Gruppo del Monte Bianco
4	Provence Alps			Provenzalische Alpen	4a Gruppo dell'Asse 4b Gruppo della Bléone
5	Dauphiné Alps			Dauphiné-Alpen, Dauphinéer Alpen	5a Gruppo del Champsaur 5b Massiccio del Pelvoux 5c Alpi di Moriana
6	Provence Prealps			Provenzalische Voralpen	6a Chaînes des Plans 6b Montagne di Sainte Victoire 6c Catena della Sainte Baume 6d Monti dei Maures e dell'Esterel/Massif des Maures et Esterel
7	Dauphiné Prealps			Dauphiné-Voralpen, Dauphinéer Voralpen	7a Montagna del Luberon 7b Montagne di Valchiusa 7c Massiccio del Dévoluy 7d Vercors
8	Savoy Prealps, Savoy Alps			Savoie-Voralpen, Savoie-Alpen, Savoier Alpen	8a Alpi dello Sciablese 8b Catena del Reposoir 8c Baujes 8d Massiccio della Grande Chartreuse
	Central Alps			Zentralalpen	From Col Ferret to the Brenner Pass
9	Pennine Alps			Penninische Alpen	9a Alpi del Vallese 9b Gruppo della Val Sesia
10	Lepontine Alps			Lepontinische Alpen	10a Gruppo del Monte Leone 10b Gruppo dell'Adula 10c Alpi Ticinesi
11	Rhaetian Alps			Rätische Alpen	11a Gruppo dell'Albula e Silvretta 11b Gruppo della Plessur 11c Catena del Reticone 11d Gruppo del Ferwall 11e Gruppo del Bernina 11f Gruppo dell'Umbraglio 11g Alpi Venoste 11h Alpi Breonie 11i Alpi Sarentine 11j Gruppo dell'Ortles 11k Monti della Val di Non 11l Gruppo dell'Adamello 11m Dolomiti di Brenta
12	Bernese Alps			Berner Alpen	12a Massiccio del Finsteraarhorn 12b Gruppo del Wildhorn 12c Alpi Urane
13	Glarus Alps			Glarner Alpen	13a Gruppo del Tödi 13b Gruppo della Sardona
14	Swiss Prealps			Schweizer Voralpen	14a Prealpi della Simmental 14b Prealpi dell'Emmental 14c Prealpi della Linth
15	Bavarian Alps		–	Bayrische Alpen	15a Alpi dell'Algovia 15b Alpi della Lechtal 15c Monti dell'Achensee
16	Lombard Prealps		–	Lombardische Voralpen, Lombardische Alpen	16a Prealpi Luganesi 16b Alpi Orobie 16c Prealpi Bergamasche 16d Prealpi Bresciane 16e Prealpi Giudicarie 16f Gruppo del Monte Baldo
	Eastern Alps			Ostalpen	From Brenner to Rijeka
17	Noric Alps		–	Norische Alpen	17a Prealpi del Tux 17b Alpi della Zillertal 17c Alti Tauri 17d Bassi Tauri 17b Alpi Carinziane
18	Dolomites		–	Dolomiten	18a Alpi di Gardena e Fassa 18b Gruppo della Marmolada 18c Alpi di Ampezzo e Cadore 18d Alpi della Valsugana e di Primiero
19	Carnic Alps			Karnische Alpen	19a Alpi della Gail 19b Alpi di Tolmezzo
20	Julian Alps			Julische Alpen	20a Alpi Giulie settentrionali 20b Alto Carso 20c Carso Corniolino
21	Kamnik-Savinja Alps	Alpi di Kamnik e della Savinja	Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe	Steiner Alpen	21a Kamniške Alpe 21b Savinjske Alpe
22	Karawanks			Karawanken	22a Catena delle Caravanche 22b Monti di Bacher
23	Salzburg Alps		–	Salzburger Alpen	23a Alpi di Kitzbühel 23b Monti Steinernes Meer 23c Monti del Kaiser 23d Monti dello Stein 23e Monti di Tennen 23f Monti del Dachstein
24	Austrian Alps		–		24a Monti Totes 24b Gruppo del Pyhrgas 24c Monti di Sengsen 24d Alpi di Ennstal 24e Gruppo dello Hochschwab 24f Alpi di Rax 24g Gruppo dello Schneeberg 24h Prealpi dell'Ötscher 24i Selva Viennese
25	Styrian Alps		–	Steirische Alpen, Steirische Voralpen	25a Alpi di Stub 25b Alpi di Glein 25c Alpi di Hoch 25d Alpi di Kor 25e Monti di Windische Bühel 25f Monti Stiriani 25g Monti di Bucklige Welt 25b Monti di Rosalia
26	Venetian Alps			Venetische Alpen, Venetische Voralpen	26a Monti Lessini 26b Altopiano di Asiago 26c Monte Grappa 26d Prealpi Bellunesi 26e Prealpi Carniche 26f Prealpi Giulie
27	Karst			Karst	27a Piccolo Carso 27b Carso istriano

Literature

Comitato Geografico Nazionale Italiano : 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. Tipografia Alzani, Pinerolo, 1980.
AA. VV.: Guida dei monti d'Italia. 60 vols., TCI-CAI, Milan, 1936–97.