Monte Viso Tunnel
clean up spacing around commas and other punctuation fixes, replaced: ; → ;
| ← Previous revision | Revision as of 03:42, 23 April 2026 | ||
| Line 46: | Line 46: | ||
The '''Monte Viso Tunnel''' (Italian: ''Buco di Viso''; French: ''Pertuis du Viso'') is an [[Alps|Alpine]] pedestrian tunnel excavated in the rock during the [[Renaissance]] and located eight kilometres north of [[Monviso]] ([[Cottian Alps]]), [[northern Italy]]. It is 75 m long, 3 m wide, and located at an altitude of 2,882 metres linking the villages of [[Crissolo]] in the modern Italian [[province of Cuneo]] and [[Ristolas]] in the French department of [[Hautes-Alpes]]. |
The '''Monte Viso Tunnel''' (Italian: ''Buco di Viso''; French: ''Pertuis du Viso'') is an [[Alps|Alpine]] pedestrian tunnel excavated in the rock during the [[Renaissance]] and located eight kilometres north of [[Monviso]] ([[Cottian Alps]]), [[northern Italy]]. It is 75 m long, 3 m wide, and located at an altitude of 2,882 metres linking the villages of [[Crissolo]] in the modern Italian [[province of Cuneo]] and [[Ristolas]] in the French department of [[Hautes-Alpes]]. |
||
Opened in 1479, it is one of the oldest tunnels in Italy and may be one of the oldest in all of Europe.{{ |
Opened in 1479, it is one of the oldest tunnels in Italy and may be one of the oldest in all of Europe.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} |
||
== History == |
== History == |
||
| Line 80: | Line 80: | ||
=== Technical characteristics === |
=== Technical characteristics === |
||
Located at an altitude of 2,882 metres in the East–west direction and 80 metres below the crest of [[Gran Grano]], the tunnel originally measured about 100 metres long while it is currently about 75 metres due to the [[erosion]] of the mountain sides.Remo Lugli, "We can go to the gallery of Monviso excavated in 1480 with iron fire and vinegar, La Stampa of September 11th 1976, p. 13. |
Located at an altitude of 2,882 metres in the East–west direction and 80 metres below the crest of [[Gran Grano]], the tunnel originally measured about 100 metres long while it is currently about 75 metres due to the [[erosion]] of the mountain sides.Remo Lugli, "We can go to the gallery of Monviso excavated in 1480 with iron fire and vinegar, La Stampa of September 11th 1976, p. 13. |
||
Chronicles of the time report that the tunnel was excavated with iron, fire, boiling water and vinegar.''ALP Grandi Montagne'' n.16 / 217 - July–August 2003 - CDA & Vivalda Editori |
Chronicles of the time report that the tunnel was excavated with iron, fire, boiling water and vinegar.''ALP Grandi Montagne'' n.16 / 217 - July–August 2003 - CDA & Vivalda Editori; pp. 86-87. The track is slightly bent and sloping towards the Italian side. |
||
The interior is almost illumined and has an average height of 2.5 metres to within about 5 centimetres, or just enough to pass a [[mule]] loaded by two lateral sides. Transit is free and can be done easily only in the summer months, because in winter and spring the [[snow]] can block the entrances. A [[flashlight|torch]] is required to travel through the gallery and a protective helmet is recommended; the air inside is saturated with [[humidity]] and the [[temperature]] is considerably lower than the outside temperature. |
The interior is almost illumined and has an average height of 2.5 metres to within about 5 centimetres, or just enough to pass a [[mule]] loaded by two lateral sides. Transit is free and can be done easily only in the summer months, because in winter and spring the [[snow]] can block the entrances. A [[flashlight|torch]] is required to travel through the gallery and a protective helmet is recommended; the air inside is saturated with [[humidity]] and the [[temperature]] is considerably lower than the outside temperature. |
||
