Monte Viso Tunnel, Alpine tunnel
The Monte Viso Tunnel is a narrow rock passage between Italy and France at nearly 2900 meters elevation. The passage stretches about 75 meters long and is only 2 meters wide, with low stone walls dating back to Renaissance times.
The tunnel was built between 1479 and 1480 by Ludovico II Del Vasto to give merchants and armies a safe way to cross the Alps. It later served as a military route for French kings and was then closed for decades before the Italian Alpine Club reopened it in 1907.
The tunnel takes its name from Monte Viso, the mountain above the passage. Today, walkers use it to imagine life before modern roads and to see how people once overcame mountain obstacles.
The passage is dark and damp, so a flashlight is needed and a helmet is recommended in case stones fall. The walk to reach it takes about two to three hours from Pian del Re and is only open during summer months since snow blocks the entrances.
The tunnel was carved entirely by hand using fire and simple tools, with workers cooling hot stones with cold water to crack them. Merchants transported salt through this route in such large quantities that the passage became known as the salt route.
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