How did the movement of the African and European tectonic plates help form the Apennines?

The formation of the Apennine Range is a complex result of the tectonic interactions between the African and European plates, primarily occurring during the Cenozoic Era.1

The range was built through the folding and faulting of sedimentary rocks that had been deposited on the Italian peninsula, which acted as a promontory of the African continent. As this promontory moved and compressed into Europe, it triggered significant tectonic activity. Specifically, the Apennines were shaped by:23

• Crustal Shortening: The range underwent shortening in a northeast–southwest dimension, a process distinct from the north–south orientation of the Alps.2
• Plate Rotation: The movement was influenced by the rotation of Corsica and Sardinia away from southern France toward Italy, as well as the northeastward movement of Italy toward the Adriatic Sea.12
• Subduction and Collision: The subduction of the ancient Tethys Sea lithosphere beneath the Calabrian arc and subsequent collisions contributed to the chain's development.23

Today, ongoing seismic activity and earthquakes continue to reflect the complex, ongoing settlement of the chain within this interaction between the African and European plates.13