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Origin and history

The Traversette tunnel, also known as the pertuis du Viso, is a 75-metre long pedestrian crossing, dug between 2,900 and 2,915 metres above sea level under the Pass de la Traversette, on the border between France (Hautes-Alpes) and Italy (Piedmont). Dated from the 4th quarter of the 15th century, it is considered the first Alpine breakthrough in history, designed to facilitate transalpine exchanges by avoiding snowy passes.

The initiative for its construction was taken by Ludovic II, Marquis de Saluces, who began work between June 1479 and November 1480. The project, supported by King Louis XI of France, the Marquis de Montferrat and the seigneur of Provence, aims to secure the salt road between Provence and Piedmont, while bypassing the Duchy of Savoie, then master of the Col du Mont-Cenis. Sized for a stony mule and a bent man, he reduced the route Grenoble-Saluces by three days and that between Provence and Turin by three weeks.

Closed in the 16th century by Savoyard troops, the tunnel was reopened several times before being rediscovered in the early 20th century. Restored in 1907 (with the help of the Italian Alpine Club and the Touring Club of France), then during the Second World War and in the 1970s, it was searched and secured in 2014. Always practical, it is classified as a historical monument in 2024-2025. A lamp is necessary to cross it because of its sinuous and obscure layout.

In economic terms, the tunnel plays a key role in transalpine trade by offering an alternative to the Savoie-controlled roads. Its route avoids the Col de la Traversette (2,947 m), reducing the risks associated with the weather. Today, it is borrowed by hikers and mountain bikers, testifying to its historical and functional heritage.

The French gallery, including the plateau and entrance, has been protected under the Historic Monuments since 2024. Located in the Natural Park of Queyras, it illustrates the medieval exchanges between the French and Italian Alps, as well as the bold engineering of the Alpine Renaissance.

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