Monte Sighignola v.2.0 (Lombardy, Italy)

Sighignola is a mountain of the Como Prealps, located on the border between the Italian region of Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. A panoramic terrace just below the summit, and directly on the Italian side of the border, provides a spectacular view especially to the west, over Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano, to the Alps. For this reason, the site is often known as the Balcone d'Italia or "balcony of Italy". The eastern, Italian, slopes are relatively gentle, and the viewing terrace can be reached by road from the Italian commune of Lanzo d’Intelvi to the east. The slopes to the west down to Lake Lugano are much steeper, and the upper slopes are within the Swiss municipality of Arogno. Balcony of Italy One of the most beautiful places in Italy, elected "Place of the Heart" by the FAI, is the flagship of the Intelvi Valley. The Sighignola is a mountain of Lombardy Luganesi that extends between the territory of the Italian town of Lanzo d'Intelvi and the Swiss among the counties of Arogno and Lugano. Lanzo begins to reach the highest peak: the road is very windy and completely surrounded by woods. The balcony of Italy can only be reached by car from the Italian side. Just before you reach the summit you will come upon a launch area for gliding and hiking trails that vary according to difficulty. The buildings and infrastructure of Sighignola and the entire surrounding area date back to the period before the First World War, because the area was of ​​strategic interest for defense systems, known as the "Cadorna Line" with the main purpose of defending the Italian border from a possible attack from the Swiss Confederation. At the end of the road there is a small chapel in memory of the soldiers who had fallen during the First World War and a panoramic terrace. The rooftop terrace (1320m) offers a spectacular view of Lake Lugano and the surrounding area and has been called "the balcony of Italy": in fact, on a sunny day you can see almost all of Lake Lugano and the mountains, some over 4000 m high, forming the Alpine range, including Monte Rosa and the famed Matterhorn. Newly built, is a terrace in Swiss territory, with children's playground, a barbecue area and benches to admire the beautiful view. In 1969 it was planned to construct a cable car from Sighignola, across the Swiss upper slopes, to Campione d'Italia. Whilst construction was started, the cable car never opened, and in 2009 an agreement was reached between the Italian and Swiss authorities to remove the remains of the cable car structure.