The Herean Mountains (also influenced by Italian as ''Erean'') ( scn, Munti Erei; it, Monti Erei; la, Heraei montes) are a mountain chain in central
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, southern
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, mostly located in the central and northern areas of the
province of Enna
Enna ( it, Provincia di Enna; Sicilian: ''Pruvincia di Enna''; officially ''Libero consorzio comunale di Enna'') is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy.
It was created in 1927, out of parts of the Provinces of Caltanise ...
. The highest peak is the
Monte Altesina
Monte may refer to:
Places Argentina
* Argentine Monte, an ecoregion
* Monte Desert
* Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province
Italy
* Monte Bregagno
* Monte Cassino
* Montecorvino (disambiguation)
* Montefalcione
Portugal
* Mont ...
, at 1,192 m above sea level.
Description
The Herean Mountains are of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
origin, and do not reach high altitudes. Their area was once one of the most important in the world for the production of
sulphur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
, as testified today by numerous mineral quarries, the largest being that of Floristella-Grottacalda.
There are several lakes in the mountain group, such as
Pergusa Lake
Lake Pergusa (''Pergoussa'', Πυργούσσα in Ancient Greek) is a lake in Sicily, set between a group of mountains in the Erean Mountains chain near Pergusa, 5 km from Enna, Italy. It is a vital stop in the migratory trajectory of a great ...
, whose rich bird life has given it the status of being the first special Natural Reserve in Sicily, and
Pozzillo Lake
Pozzillo Lake is a lake in the Province of Enna, Sicily, southern Italy. Located in the Erean Mountains chain, it is the largest artificial basin in the island. The lake is located mostly in the comune of Regalbuto, but also partially in Agira
...
, the largest artificial basin on the island.
Due to the rugged landscape, the population totals less than 200,000 and thus the area's population density is lower. The chain is home to the largest Italian city above 900 m altitude (and the largest provincial capital in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
at that altitude as well),
Enna
Enna ( or ; grc, Ἔννα; la, Henna, less frequently ), known from the Middle Ages until 1926 as Castrogiovanni ( scn, Castrugiuvanni ), is a city and located roughly at the center of Sicily, southern Italy, in the province of Enna, towering ...
, which is home more or less to one-sixth of the whole Herean population.
The mountain chain is crossed by a motorway, A19
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
-
Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
, and by a railroad running in the same direction. Most of the remaining roads wind and curve extensively through the terrain due to its rugged and geologically unstable nature.
Main sights
*Enna
*
Piazza Armerina
Piazza Armerina (Gallo-Italic of Sicily: ''Ciazza''; Sicilian: ''Chiazza'') is a ''comune'' in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy.
History
The city of Piazza (as it was called before 1862) developed d ...
*
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
*
Morgantina
Morgantina (Μοργάντιον / Μοργαντίνη in ancient greek) is an archaeological site in east central Sicily, southern Italy. It is sixty kilometres from the coast of the Ionian Sea, in the province of Enna. The closest modern ...
*
Villa del Casale
The Villa Romana del Casale ( Sicilian: ''Villa Rumana dû Casali'') is a large and elaborate Roman villa or palace located about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina, Sicily. Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and varied ...
*Roman archaeological area of
Centuripe
Centuripe (Latin: Centuripae; Sicilian: Centorbi) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Enna (Sicily, southern Italy). The city is from Enna in the hill country between the Rivers Dittaìno and Salso.
The economy is mostly based on agricu ...
{{coord, 37.4167, N, 14.35, E, source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title
Mountains of Sicily
Herean Mountains