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488:), preferring full reopening of the Pau-Canfranc rail line. A group of protesters permanently squatted at the abandoned railway station near Cette-Eygun, at the foot of the pass on the French side. Among them was the charismatic Eric Pététin, who had waged a protracted legal campaign against the authorities, causing delay in the tunnel's construction.
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was opened on 7 February 2003, at a cost of €160 million to Spain and €91.5 million for France. The building of the road tunnel was controversial, particularly in France, with those opposing it claiming that it would effectively destroy the natural beauty of the
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to guard the border of the
Pyrenees. Installed against a cliff overlooking the Gave d'Aspe, it faces the path of Masts. It was begun in 1842 and finished in 1870, replacing an earlier structure a further north. During WWII
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In
October 2020, Spain and France announced to investigate the reopening of the railway tunnel, co-financed by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Mechanism (CEF).
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who records in his
Memoirs of the 5th Regiment (1812–13) both the danger of the pass and the horrible existence of the population of
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By 1998 protesters were resorting to non-violent direct action, when construction was well under way. Their mascot was the rare
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valley north of the present Spain-France border which guards access to the Col du
Somport. It was built by order of
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trail that goes 35 km around the pass, shared by Spain and France. Part of the route belongs to the
Spanish
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invaders having used the relatively easy entrance to Spain from France in the fifth century. The
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road safer for pilgrims. There is little of interest at the pass, except for the modern
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This was arguably the most popular
Pyrenaic pass for pilgrims on the
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in fear of French invasion, which however would not occur until the
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invaders in the eighth century in their attempt to conquer France.
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was imprisoned in the fort from 15 August to 16 November 1945.
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which was completed in 1915, and terminating in Spain at the
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647:"Agreement to investigate Somport Tunnel reopening signed"
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bandits in the 12th century made the relatively easier
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were interned under the Vichy regime. After the war
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344:The pass was fortified in the 16th century by the
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518:guarding the Somport Road Tunnel to the town of
510:, protesting against Minister of the Interior
360:in 1808. He was later followed by Colonel
301:to cross the Pyrenees. They travelled from
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
321:There is recorded evidence of both the
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475:The 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) long
470:Canfranc International Railway Station
16:Mountain pass between France and Spain
671:Mountain passes of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
559:List of highest paved roads in Europe
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289:. Its name is derived from the Latin
645:Burroughs, David (12 October 2020).
514:'s announcement of the moving of 23
47:adding citations to reliable sources
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686:Landforms of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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444:it is approximately 840 km.
295:pilgrims to the tomb of St. James
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696:Transport in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
681:Mountain passes of the Pyrenees
333:constructed here, known as the
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498:On 3 June 2003 French deputy
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504:French National Assembly
635:Williams, 2005, p.512-3
564:List of mountain passes
135:Pass as seen from Spain
466:Somport Railway Tunnel
442:Santiago de Compostela
370:Francisco Espoz y Mina
273:, (el. 1632 m.) is a
454:Pau–Canfranc railway
358:Louis Gabriel Suchet
307:Pyrénées-Atlantiques
265:, known also as the
207:42.79361°N 0.54583°W
43:improve this article
598:"Fort du Pourtalet"
520:Oloron-Sainte-Marie
493:Pyrenean Brown Bear
477:Somport Road Tunnel
352:and the arrival of
337:, was also used by
303:Oloron-Sainte-Marie
248:Location of Somport
203: /
522:from neighbouring
416:Pilgrimage history
212:42.79361; -0.54583
146:1,632 m (5,354 ft)
539:cross-country ski
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438:Ermita del Pilar
422:Way of St. James
394:Édouard Daladier
385:Louis Philippe I
377:Fort du Portalet
317:Military history
299:route from Arles
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99:December 2009
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151:Traversed by
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41:Please help
36:verification
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537:There is a
356:'s general
210: /
185:Coordinates
665:Categories
608:2011-08-25
570:References
543:ski resort
331:Roman road
327:Visigothic
198:00°32′45″W
195:42°47′37″N
69:newspapers
547:CandanchĂş
516:gendarmes
390:LĂ©on Blum
372:in 1814.
346:Habsburgs
313:, Spain.
267:Aspe Pass
142:Elevation
58:"Somport"
553:See also
508:Se Canto
484:Valley (
458:Canfranc
456:linking
426:Navarran
366:Canfranc
354:Napoleon
325:and the
279:Pyrenees
179:Pyrenees
159:Location
323:Vandals
259:Somport
242:Somport
124:Somport
83:scholar
533:Sports
430:Basque
339:Muslim
311:Aragon
283:France
169:border
163:France
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524:Urdos
287:Spain
175:Range
167:Spain
90:JSTOR
76:books
482:Aspe
452:The
428:and
404:and
381:Aspe
375:The
285:and
154:road
62:news
545:of
462:Pau
269:or
261:or
45:by
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165:–
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