Montes de la Maddalena, Mountain range in Basilicata, Italy

The Montes de la Maddalena is a mountain range in Basilicata, southern Italy, forming the central part of the Lucanian Apennines. Its highest peak, Monte Volturino, reaches 1,836 metres, while Monte Pierfaone and Monte Arioso stand at 1,744 and 1,722 metres. The range separates the upper Agri valley from the Vallo di Diano.

The range was partly incorporated into the Appennino Lucano Val d'Agri Lagonegrese National Park in 2007. This protection marked an important step in preserving the area's natural character.

The range's name comes from the Maddalena chain, the watershed between Campania and Basilicata. Its slopes feed the Agri and Basento, the two Lucanian rivers richest in water. The Sellata pass at 1,255 m splits into four roads toward Pignola, Abriola, Arioso and the Pierfaone ski fields.

Several marked trails lead to the different peaks across the range. The routes vary in difficulty, so it is best to choose your path based on fitness level and how much time you have.

The geologist De Giorgi, studying the southern Apennines in the late 19th century, dated these mountains to the Cretaceous after finding compact limestone, galestrine schists and scaly clays in their formations.