Sighignola, Mountain summit in Ticino, Switzerland.

Sighignola is a mountain of the Lugano Prealps rising to 1,320 m on the Italian-Swiss border; its summit, the highest point of the Val d'Intelvi, lies in Italian territory near Lanzo d'Intelvi, while the western slopes fall over 1,000 m into Lake Lugano. The eastern Italian side is gentle and wooded, the western Swiss side steep and rocky. A winding road built in 1912-1913 by the Touring Club Italiano reaches the top, where a small chapel, a closed restaurant and the panoramic terrace known as the Balcone d'Italia stand just inside Italy.

The summit was home to military fortifications during the First World War as part of the Cadorna Line, built to protect the Italian border against potential Swiss military action. These defensive structures show how the mountain played a role in border security during a conflict that affected the alpine region.

The small chapel on the summit is an alpine chapel (cappella degli alpini), kept by the Alpini, the Italian mountain infantry. The name "Balcone d'Italia" comes from the panoramic terrace just below the summit, on Italian soil at the border, from which Lake Lugano, Campione d'Italia and, on clear days, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn are visible.

The easiest route to the summit runs from Lanzo d'Intelvi on the Italian side, as the Swiss slopes are considerably steeper and more challenging to climb. Wear sturdy footwear and allow several hours for the hike, as the paths can be rocky and uneven.

The cable car was built by the Bell company in the late 1960s: the valley station stood on the shore of Lake Lugano at the northern end of Campione d'Italia, the mountain station on Swiss ground below the terrace, plus a walk-through concrete middle station at Sant'Evasio. It never ran because the cabins passed too close to the ground and financing collapsed; the builder went bankrupt. Demolition of the mountain station began only in autumn 2011, and its ruin now serves as a viewing platform, while the topmost pylon and the valley station ruin still stand.