Lighthouse of Genoa
The Lighthouse of Genoa (Italian: Lanterna di Genova), known as La Lanterna, is the main lighthouse serving the Port of Genoa. Besides being an important aid to night navigation in the vicinity, the tower serves as a symbol and a landmark for the city of Genoa. Rebuilt in its current shape in 1543 replacing the former lighthouse, it is the world's third oldest lighthouse, following the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, Spain, and Kõpu Lighthouse, on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. Built of masonry, at 76 m (249 ft), it is constructed in two square portions, each one capped by a terrace. The whole structure is crowned by a lantern from which the light is shone.
Lighthouse of Genoa during the sunset | |
| Location | Genoa, Liguria, Italy |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°24′16.44″N 8°54′17.00″E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1128 (some sources 1161) |
| Foundation | Natural emplaced |
| Construction | Stone |
| Automated | 1936 |
| Height | 76 m (249 ft) |
| Shape | Two square prisms |
| Markings | Unpainted, save for the city arms on the lower stage; lantern painted with red-and-white checkerboard pattern |
| Operator | Marina Militare |
| Heritage | Italian national heritage |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1543 (current tower) |
| Focal height | 117 m (384 ft) |
| Lens | Wood fire, later first order Fresnel lens |
| Light source | electric power distribution |
| Intensity | main: AL 1000 W reserve: LABI 100 W |
| Range | main: 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) reserve: 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
| Characteristic | two white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 20 s. |
| Italy no. | 1569 E.F |
Between 1543 and the construction of the lighthouse on Île Vierge, France in 1902, it was the tallest lighthouse in the world. It is now the world's fifth tallest lighthouse, the second tallest lighthouse built in traditional masonry after Île Vierge and the tallest lighthouse of the Mediterranean Sea. When measured as a whole with the natural rock on which it stands, as it is commonly perceived and represented, its total height is 117 m (383 ft), which makes it the second tallest lighthouse in the world, the tallest in Europe, and the tallest in the world when only traditional lighthouses are considered.