Buco di Viso

Monte Viso Tunnel

The entrance of the tunnel by the Italian side
Overview
Official name	Italian: Buco di Viso French: Pertuis du Viso
Coordinates	44°42′43.81″N 7°03′59.18″E / 44.7121694°N 7.0664389°E / 44.7121694; 7.0664389
Start	Monte Granero, Piedmont
Operation
Work begun	1479
Opened	1480
Reopened	1907, 1998, 2014
Technical
Length	75 m
Width	3 m
Route map

The Monte Viso Tunnel (Italian: Buco di Viso; French: Pertuis du Viso) is an 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 modern Italian province of Cuneo and the French department of Hautes-Alpes. Is 75 metres long and connects Italy with France by linking the villages of Crissolo and Ristolas.

Opened in 1479, it is one of the most ancient tunnels of Italy and maybe one of the most ancient of Europe.

The creation of this work was born from the decision of its promoter, Marquis of Saluzzo Ludovico II Del Vasto. With a philosophical and hostile political orientation at the House of Savoy that threatened the autonomy of his marquisate, he signed an agreement with the king of the Kingdom of Naples, René of Anjou, who was also the Count of Provence, and was therefore a vassal of the king of France Louis XI.

The purpose of the Monte Viso Tunnel was to increase trade by allowing a smooth transition to the merchant caravans that needed to cross the barrier imposed by the Alps. This created a viable alternative to the most dangerous cross country routes, whose difficult crossing caused damage to shipments. In addition, the passage through the tunnel, at a lower section of the passageway, would also increase the useful days for the passage of the goods since, as early as the snowfall, the Col de la Traversette became impracticable.

The agreement for its realization was sanctioned at Arles on September 22th 1478 and the excavation works of the tunnel began in the summer of 1479, when the snow was dissolved. For this reason the work was interrupted in the winter and was completed at the end of the summer of 1480 under the direction of the engineers Martino di Albano and Baldassarre of Piasco, with a total cost of 12,000 florins.