Topic summary
Madonie Mountains
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Madonie.
The Madonie (Italian pronunciation:; Sicilian: Madunìi) are one of the principal mountain ranges on the island of Sicily, located in the Northern part of the island. Its name comes from the feud of Madonìa which belonged to the noble family of La Farina from Palermo and then to the Marquises Crescimanni of Madonìa. GeographyThe range is located within Palermo Province of Sicily. It is part of the Sicilian extension of the Apennine Mountains System that runs along the Italian Peninsula. The range includes the next highest elevation mountain summits of Sicily after Mount Etna. The highest peak of the range is Pizzo Carbonara at 1,979 metres (6,493 ft), followed by neighboring Pizzo Antenna at 1,977 metres (6,486 ft). EcologyThe mountains' varied elevation, microclimates, exposure, and geology create distinct habitats which are home to diverse plant communities. Evergreen laurel forests grow in ravines on the northern slopes of the massif between 300 and 560 meters elevation, where the exposure and topography allow more year-round moisture. Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is the dominant tree, together with Quercus ilex and Quercus pubescens subsp. pubescens. These trees form low thickets