Partizione delle Alpi

The Partizione delle Alpi ("Partition of the Alps", German: Einteilung der Alpen, French: Partition des Alpes) 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 (Western Alps), Alpi Centrali (Central Alps) and Alpi Orientali (Eastern Alps).

The basic structure is based on the three main divisions (Italian: parti, German: Teile). These were further subdivided into 26 sezione ("sections") and 112 gruppi ("groups").

The term "Central Alps" should not be confused with the Central Alps within the north-to-south division of the Eastern Alps.

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 ("Names and Boundaries of the Major Elements of the Alpine System").

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:

More up to date versions of this system are found in standard works like the Dictionnaire encyclopédique des Alpes (2006) or Il Grande Dizionario Enciclopedico delle Alpi (2007).

1a Alpi liguri/Alpes ligures (Ligurian Alps)
1b Alpi del Var
1c Prealpi di Nizza/Préalpes de Nice, Préalpes Niçoises

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