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The central Apennines, an accretionary wedge overlying an area of slab detachment, are characterized by prominent topography, active normal faulting, and high uplift rates. However, previous studies have failed to resolve the surface uplift history, complicating efforts to link the topographic evolution with underlying geodynamic processes. We aim to better quantify orographic changes by using stable oxygen isotope paleoaltimetry. Modern surface water δ 18 O are 5‰ lower at high elevation than at sea level, reflecting orographic rainout over the Apennines. We present 262 new lacustrine and paleosol carbonate δ 18 O measurements collected from ten extensional intermontane basins—spanning both high and low elevations—and combine these with 1,166 published δ 18 O data, permitting us to constrain changes in δ 18 O both spatially and temporally. Since the Pliocene, δ 18 O in present-day high-elevation …