Passo Tanarello (in Italian) or Pas du Tanarel (in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

) at 2,042 m is a mountain pass in the

Ligurian Alps The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the Vermenagna valley ...

. It connects the valleys of

Roya Roya may refer to: * ''Roya'' (alga), a genus of green algae and a subgroup of Zygnemataceae * Roya (river), a river of France and Italy * Roya (genus), a synonym of ''Williamia'', a genus of small sea snails * Roya (given name), a female prope ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

and

Tanaro The Tanaro (; pms, Tane ; ; la, Tanarus), is a long river in northwestern Italy. The river begins in the Ligurian Alps, near the border with France, and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drai ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Etymology

''Tanarello'' is the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...

form of ''

'', the main right-bank tributary of the

River Po The Po ( , ; la, Padus or ; Ligurian language (ancient), Ancient Ligurian: or ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is either or , if the Maira (river), Mair ...

Geography

Passo Tanarello is located on the

main chain of the Alps The main chain of the Alps, also called the Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the drainage divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest ...

between Monte Tanarello and Cima Ventosa. It connects the basins of the

Ligurian Sea The Ligurian Sea ( it, Mar Ligure; french: Mer Ligurienne; lij, Mâ Ligure) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies between the Italian Riviera (Liguria) and the island of Corsica. The sea is thought to have been named after the ancient ...

(south of the pass) and the River Po. Administratively the Italian side belongs to the municipality of Briga Alta and the French side to

La Brigue La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...

. Located near the pass are the remains of an old barracks and a small building still used by local farmers.

History

Up to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the pass was totally in Italian territory, but due to the Paris Peace Treaties signed in February 1947, it is now on the border between Italy and

Hiking

The pass is easily accessible by walking and

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

by following the old military road. Monte Tanarello can be climbed using unmarked footpaths accessed from the path to the south and

Cima Ventosa Cima may refer to: Acronyms *The Center for International Media Assistance, a media development organization in Washington, DC *Centre International de la Mécanique d'Art (International centre for Art Mechanics), a museum in Switzerland *Channel ...

can be climbed to the north. It can also be accessed in winter with snowshoes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanarello Mountain passes of Piedmont Mountain passes of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Mountain passes of the Ligurian Alps France–Italy border crossings

Etymology

Geography

History

Hiking

See also

References