Col Agnel — Local services in Briançon

Fantastic mountain peak and second highest road in France after the Bonette mountain pass, and located at 2744 meters above sea level in the territory of the town of Molines, the Col Agnel is one of the 3 entrance doors of Queyras, but the only one from Italy, and what a door !

A high place where you can find a wooden-carved tribute to the cyclist Michele Scarponi died in the road, and a place of exchange between France and Italy, and even theater of major historical facts, which acquired in the 20th century of notoriety via the passage of the largest cycling races. A legendary pass between Italy and France, crossed by the Giro d'Italia and the Tour of France, the route of General Guillaume. Nevertheless, it is closed during the winter and generally open in May ...

The Agnel pass is an ancestral access between France (Queyras) and Italy (Val Varaita). His Italian name is Colle dell'agnello.

Italians and French have exchanged goods, livestock, agricultural food, ores, etc. for many centuries.

The transhumance of the animals was done between the two sides of the pass : the animals were going to spend the winter in Italy and then returned to pastures in the summer on the French side.

The Saint Luke Fair in Guillestre, which takes place at the end of October, materializes these significant economic exchanges between the two sides of the pass. It is where the decision is made for the closure date !

In 1857/1858, the Napoleon refuge of Col Agnel was built, in order to host reckless travelers blocked by bad weather (snow, avalanche, thunderstorms) or surprised by thenightfall.

Finally, we must note that the Agnel pass materializes the watershed line between two rivers : the Durance on the French side and the Pô on the...

Uno dei Passi alpini più alti, con lo scollinamento posto a più di 2700 m, come forse solo Stelvio ed Iseran ( il Col de la Bonette non la considero nemmeno, è solo una Pacchianata da Grandeur francese..)...la strada per la Valle Varaita parte da Piasco, fra Saluzzo e Cuneo, e si inerpica lentamente in una lunga valle, passando per Sampeyre, Casteldelfino, fino ad arrivare a Pontechianale, al laghetto di Castello e infine a Chianale, dove la musica cambia....la strada si impenna decisamente, i tornanti si fanno più impegnativi e se vogliamo anche un po' pericolosi, niente barriere di protezione, ma la strada non è troppo stretta, quindi basta fare attenzione e salire con calma ( smanettoni della moto poco graditi..).. Al Passo, un cippo roccioso segna il confine Francia/Italia, prima della lunga ma piacevolissirma discesa ( come panorama molto meglio del versante italiano..) verso il Queyras ed il caratteristico borgo di Château Queyras, subito dopo il quale si può prendere a destra il bivio per il Col de l'Izoard ( e la sua Casse Deserte..)...salita e discesa molto lunghe, sarebbe preferibile non farle di domenica, quando il traffico rallenta il tragitto facendolo diventare quasi pesante...comunque...

Stunning roadway up to the mountains. We drove the Italian part from Brossasco (700 meters) to the top at (2744 meters) wher the French Italian border, just an incripted stone, is located. From there you can clearly see the Monviso (3800 meters). It is a really stunning roadtrip. A must for every tourist that is staying at a (say) 50...