The Po, Italy’s longest river, has headwaters below the northwest face of Monviso.
The source is a spring at Pian del Re, a high plateau at the head of the Val Po in Piedmont. Monviso, also called Monte Viso, rises to 3,841 metres in the Cottian Alps near the French border. Its distinctive pyramid shape makes it one of the most recognizable peaks in the western Alps.
From Pian del Re, the Po flows east across northern Italy, passing through or near Turin, Piacenza, Cremona and Ferrara before reaching the Adriatic Sea. Its drainage basin includes parts of Italy, Switzerland and France, although most of the river’s course lies in Italy.
A common mix-up is confusing Monviso with the nearby Monte Rosa, Matterhorn or Gran Paradiso. Those are major Alpine peaks, but the Po’s named source is specifically associated with Monviso and Pian del Re.