The Col de Montgenèvre (; elevation 1860 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, in France 2 kilometres away from Italy.
Description The pass takes its name from the village Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes), which lies in the vicinity. It links Briançon in the upper Durance valley with the Susa Valley and its communes of Cesana Torinese and Susa in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont.
The Col de Montgenèvre is an important road connection, and is kept open in winter. Its importance has always lain in the fact that it is the lowest of the principal crossings of the main range of the Alps between France and Italy.
History It was known to the Romans before 118 BC, when Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus started construction of the Via Domitia road, which terminated at the pass.Cicero, pro Font. 8 Roman General Pompey used it on his campaign to Spain in 77 BC and claimed to have opened up a more favorable route. It was later used by Julius Caesar in travelling to Gaul and then became the main route for travel between Roman Italy and southern Gaul or Spain.
The Col de Montgenèvre is considered a possible route for Hannibal's famous passage through the Alps on his journey from the Rhône river valley to Italy.Hannibal's War: A Military History of the Second Punic War, p. 182, John Francis Lazenby University of Oklahoma Press, 1998
Through this pass, Charles VIII of France led his army in September 1494 on his way to capture the Kingdom of Naples, which would spark 65 years of intermittent warfare up and down the Italian Peninsula, later known as the Italian Wars.Francesco Guicciardini, Storia d'Italia, Book 1 chapter 9.
The strategic importance of the pass, the lowest over this part of the Alps, caused several forts to be built, such as Briançon and Fort Janus.
Tour de France The Col de Montgenèvre has appeared on the Tour de France 10 times.:
Tour de France Stage Finish YearStageStart of stageDistance (km)CategoryStage winnerLeader in general classification197610Le Bourg-d'Oisans1661
Other Appearances in the Tour de France YearStageCategory StartFinishLeader at the Summit1949173BriançonAosta1952113Le Bourg-d'OisansSestrières1956172TurinGap1966172BriançonTurin1992142SestrièresAlpe d'Huez199692Le Monêtier-les-BainsSestrières1996101TurinGap199992Le Grand-BornandSestrières2011172GapPinerolo202442PineroloValloire
Vuelta a España The Col de Montgenèvre featured on Stage 4 of the 2025 Vuelta a España. YearStageCategory StartFinishLeader at the Summit202542SusaVoiron
See also Cottii Regnum List of highest paved roads in Europe List of mountain passes
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