Monte Leone

Monte Leone is the highest mountain of the Lepontine Alps and is located on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The mountain stands on the extreme west of the Lepontine Alps, a few kilometres east of Simplon Pass.EtymologyLeone in Italian means lion, and the mountain's name is said to come from the look of its south face's profile. A different origin of the name could be Munt d'l'Aiun, which in the local dialect means Aiun's mountain; Aione is a nearby village and mount Leone is situated close to meadows traditionally owned by the villagers.GeographyIn the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain belongs to an alpine subsection of Lepontine Alps called "North-Western Lepontine Alps" (It:Alpi del Monte Leone e del San Gottardo; De:Monte Leone-Sankt Gotthard-Alpen).