Brenner Pass

a pass in the main chain of the Alps between the headwaters of the Adige and the Inn. It affords a line of communication between Austria and the Valley of the Po. Its highest point is 4,658 feet above the sea. It is about twelve miles long and is open during the entire year. It was the pathway of the Roman legions on their way to the upper Danube, and it was through this pass that the Austrians maintained their grip on the fertile plains of Lombardy. A railway connecting Austria and Italy was built in 1867. Although mountains rise to a height of 3,000 feet on either side, the pass is considered less picturesque than that of other alpine routes. See St. Gothard; Cenis; Simplon