{{Short description|Mountain pass in France}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} {{Infobox mountain pass | name = Col de Montgenèvre | photo = Colle del Monginevro.JPG | photo_caption = The obelisk celebrating Napoleon Bonaparte was erected in September 1804, two months before the First Consul had himself promoted and crowned as emperor. | elevation_m = 1860 | elevation_ref = | traversed = Route nationale 94 (France) | map = Alps | map_caption = Location of Col de Montgenèvre | map_size = | label = Col de Montgenèvre | coords = {{coord|44|55|51|N|6|43|24|E|type:pass_region:FR|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | location = Hautes-Alpes, France | range = Cottian Alps | topo = }}
The '''Col de Montgenèvre''' ({{Langx|it|Passo del Monginevro}}; 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.<ref>Cicero, ''pro Font.'' 8</ref> 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.<ref>''Hannibal's War: A Military History of the Second Punic War'', p. 182, John Francis Lazenby University of Oklahoma Press, 1998</ref>
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.<ref>Francesco Guicciardini, ''Storia d'Italia'', Book 1 chapter 9.</ref>
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.:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Montgenèvre dans le Tour de France |url=http://www.ledicodutour.com/villes-etapes/villes_etapes_m/montgenevre.html |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.ledicodutour.com|language=French}}</ref>
===Tour de France Stage Finish=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !Year !Stage !Start of stage !Distance (km) !Category !Stage winner !Leader in general classification |- |1976 |10 |Le Bourg-d'Oisans |166 |1 |{{flagathlete|Joop Zoetemelk|NED}} |{{flagathlete|Lucien Van Impe|BEL}} |}
===Other Appearances in the Tour de France=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !Year !Stage !Category !Start !Finish !Leader at the Summit |- |1949 |17 |3 |Briançon |Aosta |{{flagathlete|Gino Bartali|ITA}} |- |1952 |11 |3 |Le Bourg-d'Oisans |Sestrières |{{flagathlete|Fausto Coppi|ITA}} |- |1956 |17 |2 |Turin |Gap |{{flagathlete|Valentin Huot|FRA}} |- |1966 |17 |2 |Briançon |Turin |{{flagathlete|Julio Jiménez|ESP|1945}} |- |1992 |14 |2 |Sestrières |Alpe d'Huez |{{flagathlete|Richard Virenque|FRA}} |- |1996 |9 |2 |Le Monêtier-les-Bains |Sestrières |{{flagathlete|Richard Virenque|FRA}} |- |1996 |10 |1 |Turin |Gap |{{flagathlete|Bjarne Riis|DEN}} |- |1999 |9 |2 |Le Grand-Bornand |Sestrières |{{flagathlete|Richard Virenque|FRA}} |- |2011 |17 |2 |Gap |Pinerolo |{{flagathlete|Sylvain Chavanel|FRA}} |- |2024 |4 |2 |Pinerolo |Valloire |{{flagathlete|Stephen Williams|GBR}} |}
==Vuelta a España== The Col de Montgenèvre featured on Stage 4 of the 2025 Vuelta a España.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stage 4 Profile 80th Vuelta a España |url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2025/stage-4/info/profiles |website=ProCyclingStats |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !Year !Stage !Category !Start !Finish !Leader at the Summit |- |2025 |4 |2 |Susa |Voiron |{{Flagathlete|Louis Vervaeke|BEL}} |}
==See also== * Cottii Regnum * List of highest paved roads in Europe * List of mountain passes
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://archive.today/20131012081719/http://goo.gl/maps/Jqyv4 Col de Montgenèvre on Google Maps (Tour de France classic climbs)]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Montgenevre}} Category:Mountain passes of the Alps Category:Mountain passes of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Monginevro Col de Montgenevre Category:Metropolitan City of Turin Category:France–Italy border crossings Category:Transport in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur