The San Marco Pass ( it, Passo San Marco) is a mountain pass that links
Val Brembana
Val Brembana is a valley in Lombardy, northern Italy. It takes its name from the river crossing it, the Brembo.
Geography
The Bergamo Alps form the valley's northern limits, notably the Tre Signori and Diavolo di Tenda Peaks, while at south lie ...
with
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuclina (); lmo, Valtelina or ; german: Veltlin; it, Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Toda ...
in the
Bergamo Alps
The Bergamasque Alps or Bergamo Alps (Italian language, Italian: ''Alpi Orobie'', sometimes translated into English as Orobic Alps) are a mountain range in the Italy, Italian Alps. They are located in northern Lombardy and named after the city Be ...
.
History
In the late 16th century, the city of
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
and its surrounding areas were part of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
and Valtellina was part of the
Grisons
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
. In the late years of the century the Republic of Venice decided to build a new road, that without crossing the
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...
, can create a new road ties between the Grisons and the Republic. So the paved road of San Marco Pass was built. Close to the pass at 1830 m above the sea level there is ''Ca San Marco'' a house also built in the late 16th century to provide care to the travelers during winter time.
In the years after the
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
a new road has been built. The
Giro d'Italia climbs San Marco Pass during the 2007 edition.
See also
*
List of highest paved roads in Europe
This is a list of the highest paved roads in Europe. It includes roads that are over long and whose culminating point is at least above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest settlements in Europe and to the t ...
*
List of mountain passes
This is a list of mountain passes.
Africa
Egypt
* Halfaya Pass (near Libya)
Lesotho
* Moteng Pass
* Mahlasela pass
* Sani Pass
Morocco
* Tizi n'Tichka
South Africa
* Eastern Cape Passes
* Western Cape Passes
* Northern Cape Passes
* Kwa ...
External links
San Marco Pass view
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Marco
Mountain passes of Italy
Mountain passes of the Alps