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The border between the modern states of Switzerland and Italy extends for , from the French-Swiss-Italian tripoint at Mont Dolent in the west to the Austrian-Swiss-Italian tripoint near Piz Lad in the east. Much of the border runs across the High Alps, rising above as it passes east of
Dufourspitze The Dufourspitze is the highest peak of Monte Rosa, an ice-covered mountain massif in the Alps. Dufourspitze is the List of mountains of Switzerland, highest mountain of both Switzerland and the Pennine Alps and is also the List of mountains of th ...
, but it also descends to the lowest point in Switzerland as it passes
Lago Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the List of lakes of Italy, second largest lake in Italy and the List of lakes of Switzerland, largest in southern Sw ...
at below . It is the longest border of both
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and of
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.


History

The border is a product of the
Napoleonic period The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...
, established with the provisional constitution of the Helvetic Republic of 15 January 1798, restored in 1815. While this border existed as a border of Switzerland from 1815, there was only a unified Italian state to allow the existence of a "Swiss-Italian border" with the formation of the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
in 1861, it previously comprised the borders between Switzerland and the
Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...
, the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia and the province of
Cisleithania Cisleithania, officially The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council (), was the northern and western part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in the Compromise of 1867—as distinguished from ''Transleithania'' (i.e., ...
of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. There remained some territorial disputes after the formation of the Kingdom of Italy, resolved in the ''Convenzione tra l'Italia e la Svizzera per l'accertamento della frontiera fra la Lombardia ed il Cantone dei Grigioni'' of 1863. Other Swiss-Italian treaties regarding the course of the border date to 1873/4, 1936/7 and 1941. Since 1946, it has remained unchanged as the border between the Italian Republic and the Swiss Confederation, with the exception of minor corrections and exchanges of territory, such as the inclusion of the Lago di Lei barrage in Switzerland in the 1950s. In 2008 Switzerland became part of the
Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...
, meaning that border controls were removed along this border as of 12 December 2008. However, while border guards from both countries are no longer allowed to stop travellers for the sole purpose of passport checks, they can still carry out customs checks, as Switzerland is not in the EU Customs Union. In May 2023, a joint Italian-Swiss commission agreed to redraw a border that traverses an Alpine peak as melting glaciers shift the historically defined frontier. Switzerland officially approved the treaty in September 2024, but Italy still needs to sign.


Detailed path

The border as shown by
Swisstopo Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, Switzerland's national mapping agency. The current name was made official in 2002. It had been used as the domain name for the homepage of the instituteswisstopo.admi ...
separates the Swiss canton of
Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
from the Italian
Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...
and
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
region, the canton of
Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
from Piedmont and
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, and the canton of
Grisons The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include: * ; *Romansh language, Romansh: ** ** ** ** ** **; * ; * ; * . See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...
from Lombardy and
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
. Running east from Mont Dolent, the border touches Grand Golliat and the Great St Bernard Pass and then visits a series of three-thousander peaks including Mont Velan, Mont Brulé and Tête Blanche before rising to at Dent d'Herens and to at
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
, followed by Furgghorn, Breithorn, Zwillinge,
Monte Rosa Monte Rosa (; ; ; or ; ) is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps, on the border between Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over , is the D ...
at , and Grenzgipfel just east of Dufourspitze at . The border now encircles the Italian
Domodossola Domodossola (; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola (due to it ...
valley, passing Gonda, Monte Leone, Bortelhorn, Helsenhorn, traversed by the
Simplon Tunnel The Simplon Tunnel (''Simplontunnel'', ''Traforo del Sempione'' or ''Galleria del Sempione'') is a railway tunnel on the Simplon railway that connects Brig, Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, through the Alps, providing a shor ...
connecting
Brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...
with Varzo, Grieshorn just south of Nufenen Pass, and forming the western border of Ticino runs across Marchhorn, Basodino, Pizzo Fiorera, Wandfluhhorn, Pizzo Quadro, Pizzo di Porcaresc, Pilone and descends below running across Centovalli along a stretch of the Melezza. It rises again to Pilone peak before descending to
Lago Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the List of lakes of Italy, second largest lake in Italy and the List of lakes of Switzerland, largest in southern Sw ...
between Brissago and
Cannobio Cannobio is a town and ''comune'' on the river Cannobino and the shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy. History The local inhabitants probably became subject to Ancient Rome, Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus Caesar, Augustus. ...
, on the left bank making landfall at Caviano and passing west of
Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...
and the villages of Malcantone to Ponte Tresa at Lake Lugano. It then forms the southernmost corner of Switzerland including Chiasso, turning north again outside of Como and now forming the eastern border of Ticino running west of Lake Como, of passing Lake Lugano again east of Lugano and touching Monte Boglia, Cima di Fojorina, Gazzirola, Cima di Cugn, Pizzo Campanile, again reaching at Pizzo Quadro between Val Mesolcina and Chiavenna, and further north to Pizzo Tambo, Splügen Pass and Piz Timun. The Swiss-Italian border here has the peculiarity of including the reservoir of Lago di Lei in Italy but in an artificial salient including the reservoir's dam in Switzerland. Turning south again it traverses Val Bregaglia at Castasegna and turns east towards Cima di Castello, now forming the northern border of the Valtellina, a territory that was lost by the
Three Leagues The Three Leagues, sometimes referred to as Raetia, was the 1471 alliance between the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions, and the Grey League. Its members were all Swiss Associates, associates of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ...
in 1797 with the formation of the
Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic (; ) was a sister republic or a client state of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized two ...
. Val Poschiavo remains part of Grisons, and is separated from Valtellina by the border passing just north of Tirano, turning north again along Piz Paradisin, Munt Cotschen, Piz da l'Acqua to the inclusion of Livigno in Italy. The border now follows the southern watershed of Val Müstair, touching Piz Murtaröl, Piz Tea Fondada, Piz Schumbraida, Piz Umbrail until it reaches the pass road connecting Vinschgau with the Valtellina and Stilfserjoch. The border now turns north for a final stretch separating Val Müstair and the
Engadin The Engadin or Engadine (;This is the name in the two Romansh idioms that are spoken in the Engadin, Vallader and Puter, as well as in Sursilvan and Rumantsch Grischun. In Surmiran, the name is ''Nagiadegna'', and in Sutsilvan, it is ''Gidegna'' ...
from Vinschgau,
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, terminating at the Austrian-Swiss-Italian tripoint just north of Piz Lad.


Campione d'Italia

Campione d'Italia is a ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' of the
Province of Como The province of Como (; Comasco dialect, Comasco: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It borders the Switzerland, Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grisons, Grigioni to the north, the Italian provinces of Province of ...
in the
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
region of
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and an
exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
surrounded by the
Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...
canton of
Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
. At its closest, the exclave is less than from the rest of Italy, but the intervening mountainous terrain requires a journey by road of over to reach the nearest Italian town, Lanzo d'Intelvi, and over to reach the city of Como. The entire territory of the Italian village was ''de facto'' included in the Swiss Customs Area as per a unilateral decision by the Swiss authorities. Being an exclave of Italy, it is not possible to reach the territory without crossing either Swiss territory or waters. On 1 January 2020, Campione and the Italian waters of Lake Lugano became part of the European Customs Union and a customs border crossing and check points were established.


Transportation

cross-border services between Italy and Switzerland exist on the following railway lines (from West to East): *
Simplon Railway The Simplon Railway is a line that links Lausanne railway station, Lausanne in Switzerland and Domodossola railway station, Domodossola in Italy, via Brig railway station, Brig. The -long Simplon Tunnel (opened in 1906) is a major part of it. The ...
,
tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...
between and (served by EC, RE) * Domodossola–Locarno railway line, between and (served by PE, R) * Cadenazzo–Luino railway, between and (served by ) * Mendrisio–Varese railway, between and (served by , ) * Milan–Chiasso railway, between and (served by , , , , EC) * Bernina railway line, between and (served by R) There have been plans in the past to extend the
Rhaetian Railway The Rhaetian Railway (; ; ), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB operates all the railway lines of the Cantons of Switzerland, ...
(RhB) network from to through a tunnel under the Maloja Pass (''Malojatunnel''). Similarly, there have been plans to connect the Vinschgau Railway ( Mals/MallesMeran/Merano) in
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
with the RhB network at either through a tunnel under the Ofen Pass ('' Ofenbergbahn'') or via the '' Reschenscheideckbahn''. Some of these plans are currently reconsidered for the future. Currently, connections exist through bus routes over these passes. The highest border crossing by cable car is at Testa Grigia (). It is also the highest Alpine crossing, culminating near the summit of the Klein Matterhorn at above sea level.


Illegal immigration

In 2016, due to increased
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
from Italy into Switzerland related to the
European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and Human migration, migrants into Europe, mostly from the Middle East. An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request Right of asyl ...
, the Swiss government cracked down on the practice, establishing more stringent controls in Swiss-bound trains and deploying helicopter and drone patrols. The government rejected calls to build a fence along the border. In April 2017, the Italian foreign ministry called the Swiss ambassador for "urgent talks" after Switzerland decided to close "three minor border crossings" at night.


See also

* Italy–Switzerland relations


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiss-Italian border European Union external borders Borders of Switzerland Borders of Italy International borders