The Monti Lepini (Italian: Lepini mountains) are a mountain range which belongs to the Anti-Apennines of the

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of central

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 ...

, between the two provinces of

Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The range borders to the north with the

Colli Albani The Alban Hills ( it, Colli Albani) are the caldera remains of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio. The high Monte Cavo forms a highly visible peak the centre of the caldera, but the hig ...

, to the south-east with the

Amaseno Amaseno (local dialect: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about south of Frosinone, located in the Monti Lepini mountain area. Its inhabitants are primar ...

Valley, to the south with the

Monti Ausoni The Monti Ausoni or Ausoni Mountains constitute a mountain range in southern Lazio, in central Italy. It is part of the Antiappennini, a group running from the Apennines chain to the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are bounded to the north by the Monti L ...

and to the west with the Pontinian Plain. The highest peak is the

Monte Semprevisa Monte Semprevisa is the highest peak in the Monti Lepini, in southern Lazio, central Italy. It has an elevation of . It is located across the boundary of the provinces of Rome and Latina, in the territories of Carpineto Romano and Bassiano. Lik ...

(1,536 m). The name derives probably from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''lapis'' (stone), referring to the mountains’

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 ...

rocks. In ancient times the area was settled by the

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

. The most striking natural feature is the

Gardens of Ninfa The Garden of Ninfa is a garden in the territory of Cisterna di Latina, in the province of Latina, central Italy. The park has an area of , and is an Italian natural monument. The landscape garden within the park comprises and contains medieval ...

. There are also numerous

grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

es, including some of the most significant in central Italy. The wildlife of the mountains includes

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

griffons Griffon may refer to: * Griffin, or griffon, a mythological creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle Businesses * Griffon Aerospace, an American aerospace and defense company * Griffon Corporation, a multinational cong ...

and Apennine wolves.

References

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lepini Mountain ranges of the Apennines Mountain ranges of Italy Mountains of Lazio