Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps

called the Semmering.

It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains.

They built the train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and

Venice.

They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip.

They built it because they knew some day, the train would come.

"Under The Tuscan Sun"

(image via imdb)