Mont Blanc straddles the French / Italian border with the international line running along the summit. but there are other candidates for the title of highest mountain in Italy and also some argument over the facts

As in the case of the highest mountain in France, Italy shares its tallest summit along with one of its closest Alpine neighbours, giving it the name Monte Bianco.

Highest Peak only in Italy.

1. Mont Blanc de Courmayeur - 4748 m

If you are looking for the highest point that is solely within Italy then there is a a real point of contention. Mont Blanc de Courmayeur, the second highest summit in the Alps, lies just next door to Mont Blanc and the summit is completely in Italy... according to the Italians.

Read our guide to walking and climbing on Mont Blanc.

The French however contest this and claim the border goes over the summit ridge, effectively carving the top between the two nations. In fact its prominence is in itself so little that one might easily argue it doesn't qualify as a separate peak.

2. Picco Luigi Amedeo - 4469 m
Still within the Mont Blanc Group, Picco Luigi Amedeo just about qualifies as a separate 4000 metre mountain, although its prominence is limited to under 40 metres, with a distance of around 700 metres from Mont Blanc de Courmayeur. It is also listed also at differing heights, although 4469 or 4470 metres seems to be accepted.

The Monte Rosa Massif gives Italy a number of high peaks of its own, although even on this mountain the highest point is shared with Switzerland

3. Ludwigshöhe - 4341 m
4. Corno Nero (Schwarzhorn) - 4322 m
5. Vincent Pyramid - 4215 m
6. Gran Paradiso - 4061 m

Standing at 4061 metres above sea level, in the Graian Alps, Gran Paradiso is peculiar in the fact that it is the highest mountain which truly lies entirely in Italy. By this we mean that the whole mountain is in Italy, lying partly in the Valle d'Aosta and partly in the Piemonte regions.