View source for Simplon Pass

{{Short description|High mountain pass between the Pennines and Lepontine Alps in Switzerland}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Simplon Pass
| photo = Sempione.jpg
| photo_caption = View of the Simplon Pass from above with the [[Rotelsee]] (left) and [[Lake Hopschu]] (right). Note the slightly lower marshland behind the road.
| elevation_m = 2006
| elevation_ref = <ref>Retrieved from the [[Swisstopo]] topographic map (1:25'000)</ref>
| traversed = Road
| location = [[Valais]], [[Switzerland]]
| range = [[Alps]]
| map = Switzerland
| map_caption = Location in Switzerland
| coords = {{coord|46|15|6|N|8|2|0|E|type:pass_region:CH-VS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| topo = 
}}

The '''Simplon Pass''' ({{langx|fr|Col du Simplon}}; {{langx|de|Simplonpass}}; {{langx|it|Passo del Sempione}}; {{langx|lmo|Pass del Sempion}}; {{convert|2006|m|ft|sigfig=4|abbr=on|disp=or}}; {{langx|rm|Pass dal Simplon}}) is a high [[mountain pass]] between the [[Pennine Alps]] and the [[Lepontine Alps]] in [[Switzerland]]. It connects [[Brig, Switzerland|Brig]] in the canton of [[Valais]] with [[Domodossola]] in [[Piedmont]] ([[Italy]]). The pass itself and the villages on each side of it, such as [[Gondo, Switzerland|Gondo]], are in Switzerland. The [[Simplon Tunnel]] was built beneath the vicinity of the pass in the early 20th century to carry rail traffic between the two countries.

The lowest point of the [[col]], and the lowest point on the watershed between the basins of the [[Rhone]] and the [[Po (river)|Po]] in Switzerland lies in marshland about {{convert|500|m|0|abbr=on}} west of the Simplon Pass settlement at an altitude of {{convert|1995|m|ft|sigfig=4|abbr=on|disp=or}}.<ref>[http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=9967 Finsteraarhorn] peakbagger.com</ref>

[[Rotelsee]] is a lake located near the pass at an elevation of {{convert|2028|m|0|abbr=on}}.

There are several high peaks around that can be climbed directly from the pass. These include [[Wasenhorn]], [[Hubschhorn]], [[Breithorn (Simplon)]], and [[Monte Leone]].

==History==
[[File:Das Simplon Hospiz mit regem Verkehrsbetrieb - CH-BAR - 3238903.tif|thumb|left|[[Simplon Hospice|The hospice]] in 1914]]
[[File:Postauto, Haltestelle Simplon Hospiz, Hospiz.jpg|thumb|left|[[PostBus Switzerland|Post bus]] at the hospice]]
There had been a locally used passage through the mountains here for several centuries, but the pass acquired international significance during the Napoleonic occupation. Between 1801 and 1805 the Simplon Road was constructed by the engineer [[Nicolas Céard]] at the direction of [[Napoleon|the emperor]] in order to transport artillery pieces through the pass between the [[River Rhône|Rhône]] valley and [[Italy]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Huxley |first=Anthony Julian |url=http://archive.org/details/standardencyclop00huxl |title=Standard encyclopedia of the world's oceans and islands |date=1962 |publisher=New York, Putnam |others=Internet Archive}}</ref> Since then, the pass has been usable by road vehicles: first [[stage coach|post carriages]], replaced early in the twentieth century by [[Postauto|post buses]].

The road was periodically improved and in 1950 the cantonal authorities created a plan whereby the pass could be kept open all through the year, and not closed to traffic between October and late April, like most Alpine passes at this altitude.<ref name=Autocar197101>{{cite journal| journal = [[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]] |volume = 134 (nbr 3902) |title =Simplon Pass: Always Open: Switzerland spends 180 million francs to keep the famous Alpine crossing in year-long use|pages = 38–39| date = 7 January 1971}}</ref> The improvements included several lengthy avalanche shelters along the more exposed stretches of road and the expansion of certain road tunnels to accommodate full size tourist coaches which were significantly taller than the [[post bus]]es used for local passengers.<ref name=Autocar197101/> In October 1970, a party of journalists was invited to inspect the improvements and it was announced that the necessary improvements had been implemented on {{convert|37|km|0|abbr=on}} of the {{convert|42.5|km|1|abbr=on}} between [[Brig, Switzerland|Brig]] in [[Valais]] and the Italian frontier at [[Gondo (Switzerland)|Gondo]], that 110 of the 180 million Swiss francs budgeted to the project had been spent and that, while a further five years would be needed to complete all the projected improvements, the Simplon Pass could now be used safely all through the year.<ref name=Autocar197101/> The former [[Simplon (département)|Simplon département]] (the Swiss canton [[Valais]]) was named after the pass.

The Simplon Pass was also outfitted with rails for train service. The {{cvt|20|km|mi}}-long [[Simplon Tunnel]] was opened in 1906. The historic [[Orient Express]] used the Simplon route intermittently during the twentieth century, as it carried passengers between [[Istanbul]] and [[Paris]].<ref name="Seat61">{{cite web | url = http://www.seat61.com/OrientExpress.htm#.UUAFExw9TTo | title = A history of the Orient Express | access-date = 2013-03-13 | last = Smith | first = Mark | work = Seat Sixty One | publisher = www.seat61.com}}</ref>

The [[Simplon Hospice|''Hospice du Simplon'']], at the top of the pass, is owned by the Congregation of Canons Regular at Grand-Saint-Bernard.

==Monuments==
[[File:Steinadler aus Granit (Simplon Adler), Simplonpass (Schweiz).jpg|thumb|The Simplon Eagle]]
During the [[Second World War]], officers of the 11th Alpine Brigade of the [[Swiss Army]], based in Zwischbergen, proposed the construction of the stone monument [[Erwin Friedrich Baumann#The Eagle on the Simplon pass|depicting an eagle]], the symbol of the brigade. The Bernese architect [[Erwin Friedrich Baumann]] designed the monument based on the use of granite blocks from the old fortification of [[Gondo (Switzerland)|Gondo]] (a town near the pass) to build a statue about nine meters high. The monument was inaugurated in September 1944.

In 2005, a memorial was built representing the 200th anniversary of the construction of the "Napoleon Road".

==See also==
{{Portal|Alps|left = |break = }}
* [[Val Divedro]]
* [[List of highest paved roads in Europe]]
* [[List of mountain passes#Europe|List of mountain passes]]
* [[List of the highest Swiss passes]]

== Picture ==
{{wide image|Simplon Passhöhe Panorama.jpg|1300px|Panoramic view of the Simplon pass}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Säumer am Simplonpass 2020.jpg|[[Pack animal]] on Simplon pass 2020
Fletschhorn Mai 2020.jpg|Mount [[Fletschhorn]] seen from Simplon pass
Rotelsee im Sommer.jpg|[[Rotelsee]] on Simplon Pass
Simplonpass im Wallis (Schweiz).jpg|Col du Simplon
20130817165 Simplon Pass - Simplon Dorf IMG 4574.JPG |Scenery of the area
Napoleon Stützmauer und Hotel Simplon-Blick, Simplonpass (Schweiz).jpg|Retaining wall from ''Napoleon Road'' on summit of pass
</gallery>

== Maps ==
[[File:Simplon Pass Swisstopo.jpg|center|thumb|900x900px|[[National Maps of Switzerland|Swisstopo]] map of the Simplon Pass and [[Simplon Tunnel|Tunnel]], connecting [[Brig, Switzerland|Brig]] in [[Valais]] with [[Domodossola|Domdossola]] in Piedmont. The thick red line demarks the [[Italy–Switzerland border|Swiss-Italian border]]. [[Monte Leone]] is visible in the centre, the Simplon pass separates it in the [[Lepontine Alps]] in the east from the [[Pennine Alps]] in the west. ]]

==Bibliography==
* [[Nicola Pfund]], ''Sui passi in bicicletta - Swiss Alpine passes by bicycle'', Fontana Edizioni, 2012, p.&nbsp;122-127. {{ISBN|978-88-8191-281-0}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Simplonpass}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Simplon Pass | volume= 25 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| page = 135 |short= 1}}
*[http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Simplon%20Pass%20&qryMountainID=5591 Profile on climbbybike.com]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of Valais]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of the Alps]]
[[Category:Lepontine Alps]]