Dawn light on road at Colle dell’Agnello (Col Agnel) mountains pass, Piedmont, Italy

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The road through Col Agnel winds over the Alps’ contours like a ribbon laid across stone. This high-altitude pass, one of the loftiest in Europe at over 2,743 metres, connects Italy’s Piedmont region with France. In the early morning, sunlight spills across the rugged terrain, casting long shadows on one side of the mountain while illuminating the other in golden hues. The fine scenery of the pass comes with a side of history: it’s said that Hannibal traversed Col Agnel in 218 BCE when he led his elephant-equipped army over the Alps to march on Rome.