Monte Viso

Monte Viso
Monte Viso
	Monviso seen from the Col de Chamoussiere (FR).
Highest point
Elevation	3,841 m (12,602 ft)
Prominence	2,062 m (6,765 ft); Ranked 10th in the Alps
Listing	Ultra; Alpine mountains above 3000 m
Coordinates	44°40′03″N 07°05′30″E / 44.66750°N 7.09167°E
Geography
	Monte Viso Alps
Location	Piedmont, Italy
Parent range	Cottian Alps
Climbing
First ascent	August 30, 1861 by William Mathews and Frederic Jacomb with guide Michel Croz
Easiest route	South Face scramble

Monte Viso or Monviso (Italian pronunciation: [moɱˈviːzo]; Occitan: Vísol; Piedmontese: Brich Monviso or Viso) is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps. It is located in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape. Because it is higher than all its neighbouring peaks by about 500 m, it can be seen from a great distance, including from the Piedmontese plateau, the Langhe, the Theodulpass in the Zermatt ski area, the col du Galibier and the summits of the Mont Blanc massif. On a very clear day, it can be seen from the spires of Milan Cathedral.^{[citation needed]}

It has been suggested that Monte Viso could be one of the mountains which inspired the Paramount logo.^{[citation needed]} In Italy it is also known as Il Re di Pietra ("The Stone King") because of its prominence within the western Italian Alps. It was declared a cross-border UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2013. The longest river of Italy, River Po, is born at the mountain's foot.