Maddalena Pass
Encyclopedia
The Maddalena Pass (elevation 1996 m.) is a high mountain pass
between the Cottian Alps
and the Maritime Alps
, located on the border between Italy
and France
. It connects Barcelonnette
in France with Cuneo
in Italy. Its French name Col de Larche refers to the village Larche
on its northwestern side.
Under its earlier name, Col de l'Argentière it has historically linked Lyon
with Italy; the Col de l'Argentière was in the possession of the house of Savoy
from 1388 to 1713, offering an easy route between Piedmont and its outlying valley of Barcelonnette, which came into Savoyard possession in 1388, when Amadeus VI of Savoy purchased it for the sum of 60,000 ecus, it was of such strategic and commercial importance.
A few hundred metres from the pass, on its Italian side, is the Lago della Maddalena, which is the source of the Stura di Demonte
, an important tributary of the Tanaro.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between the Cottian Alps
Cottian Alps
The Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy...
and the Maritime Alps
Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the French département Alpes-Maritimes and the Italian province of Cuneo. The Col de Tende separates them from the Ligurian Alps; the Maddalena Pass separates them from the Cottian Alps...
, located on the border between Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It connects Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, of which it is a subprefecture.-History:...
in France with Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
in Italy. Its French name Col de Larche refers to the village Larche
Larche, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Larche is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Geography:It lies on the northwestern foot of the Maddalena Pass, called Col de Larche in French.-Population:-References:*...
on its northwestern side.
Under its earlier name, Col de l'Argentière it has historically linked Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
with Italy; the Col de l'Argentière was in the possession of the house of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
from 1388 to 1713, offering an easy route between Piedmont and its outlying valley of Barcelonnette, which came into Savoyard possession in 1388, when Amadeus VI of Savoy purchased it for the sum of 60,000 ecus, it was of such strategic and commercial importance.
A few hundred metres from the pass, on its Italian side, is the Lago della Maddalena, which is the source of the Stura di Demonte
Stura di Demonte
Stura di Demonte is a 111 km long river in northwestern Italy . It is a tributary to the river Tanaro, which is a tributary of the river Po. Its source is in the Alps, near the border with France. It flows through Demonte and Cuneo before joining the Tanaro just east of Cherasco....
, an important tributary of the Tanaro.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes