Biellese Alps
The Biellese Alps (Alpi Biellesi or Prealpi Biellesi in Italian) are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located between Piemonte and Aosta Valley (Italy).
Alpi Biellesi literally means Alps of Biellese; Biellese is the geographical and historical area surrounding Biella, nowadays included in the province of Biella.
Administratively most part of the range belongs to the province of Biella, while its northern part falls in the province of Vercelli and the western one is divided between Province of Turin and Aosta Valley.
According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine supergroup classified in the following way:
main part = Western Alps major sector = North-Western Alps section = Pennine Alps subsection = Southern Valsesia Alps supergroup =Alpi Biellesi code = I/B-9.IV-A
Colle del Loo (2,452 m) and Valsesia from Val Vogna to Varallo Sesia (north), Valsesia from Varallo Sesia to Gattinara (east), Po plain between Gattinara and Ivrea (south), Dora Baltea until Pont Saint Martin and Lys creek until Gaby and Colle del Loo (west).
The Alpi Biellesi are divided into two alpine groups, one of them further subdivided in subgroups (in brackets is reported their SOIUSA code):
Catena Tre Vescovi - Mars (A.1) Catena Monte Bo - Barone (A.2) Costiera Talamone-Barone (A.2.a) Costiera Monte Bo-Punta del Cravile-Monticchio (A.2.b) These two subgroups are connected by Bocchetta del Croso.
From the geological point of view the Alpi Biellesi are composed by an alpine zone in the strict sense of the word and a prealpine zone, divided by the Insubric line (locally named Linea del Canavese). This important geologic fault, which forms the border between the Adriatic Plate and the European Plate, crosses Biellese from SW to NE through Bocchetto di Sessera and Bocchetta della Boscarola passes. Thus hills and mountains (i.e. Monte Barone) located south-east of the line can be considered part of southern Apulian foreland while most part of the range, located NW of the line, geologically belongs to the crystalline zone of the Alps.
Location: Italy.
Mountain range data from Wikidata (CC0). Elevation is the height of the highest peak.