The Lugano Prealps (Prealpi Luganesi or Prealpi Lombarde Occidentali in Italian) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Canton Ticino (southern Switzerland) and Lombardy (northern Italy).
Geography Administratively the Italian part of the range belongs to the provinces of Como and Varese, while the Swiss one is divided between the districts of Bellinzona, Locarno, Lugano and Mendrisio.
The western slopes of the mountains are drained by the Ticino, the eastern ones by Adda and the southern-central part of them by Lambro, Olona and other minor rivers and streams, all of them directly or indirectly tributaries of the Po.
SOIUSA classification According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine section, classified in the following way: main part = Western Alps major sector = North Western Alps section = Lugano Prealps code = I/B-11
Borders Lugano Prealps' borders are (clockwise): Lago Maggiore (west), Ticino from Locarno to Bellinzona, San Jorio Pass (2.010 m, which connects them with the Lepontine Alps) and San Jorio valley till to Gravedona (north); Como lake (east); Po Plain (south).
Subdivision The Lugano Prealps are divided into two subsections: Como Prealps - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I Varese Prealps - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II, which are separated by the Monte Ceneri Pass.
These subsections are further divided in supergroups: Como Prealps: supergroup catena Gino-Camoghè-Fiorina - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-A supergroup catena Tremezzo-Generoso-Gordona - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B supergroup catena del Triangolo Lariano - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B Varese Prealps: supergroup catena Tamaro-Gambarogno-Lema - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-A, supergroup catena Piambello-Campo dei Fiori-Nudo - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-B.
Summits
The chief summits of the range are:
Namemetresfeet Pizzo di Gino 2,245 7,363 Camoghè 2,226 7,301 Gazzirola 2,116 6,940 Monte Bregagno 2,107 6,910 Monte Tamaro 1,967 6,451 Monte Gradiccioli 1,936 6,352 Monte Grona 1,736 5,694 Monte Generoso 1,704 5,589 Monte di Tremezzo 1,700 5,600 Monte San Primo 1,685 5,526 Monte Lema 1,621 5,316 Corni di Canzo 1,373 4,503 Sighignola 1,314 4,311 Monte Nudo 1,235 4,050 Monte Pian Nave 1,058 3,471 Monte Minisfreddo 1,047 3,435 Poncione di Ganna 993 3,258 Monte Chiusarella 913 2,995 Colle di Brianza 877 2,877 Monte Monarco 858 2,815
References
Maps Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it Swiss official cartography (Swiss Federal Office of Topography - Swisstopo); on-line version: map.geo.admin.ch