This page shows the
documentation of the Lighthouses of Northwestern Italy. Some of the photos below are available on webshots,
some of the are on Flickr (and are reproduced with permission) and you can
always click on the light to go to it's specific (larger
resolution) copy. Each lighthouse is linked to (in our editorial
opinion) the best reference site for that light.
I would like to include directions on
how to get to these lights. If you know such data, could you eMail
me
and I'll post it here (with your choice of attribution.)
Western Liguria (Riviera di Ponente)
| IT 1 |
Capo
dell'Arma (Punta Verde) Not far east of San Remo, this lighthouse marks a
prominent cape. Located on the point of the cape about 3 km
southwest of Arma di Taggia. Not to be confused with Capo
dell'Armi on the Strait of Messina.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
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| IT 2 |
 |
Imperia (Porto Maurizio)
latitude 43º 52.512'N longitude 8º 1.639'E
Located about 150 m from the end of the breakwater
(south) mole of Porto Maurizio in the town of Imperia.
Photo courtesy Giovanni [Flickr] |
| IT 3 |
Imperia Molo di Levante
latitude 43º 52.66'N longitude 8º 1.393'E
Located at the end of the short east mole of Porto Maurizio in
the town of Imperia.
Photo courtesy Giovanni [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 4 |
 |
Oneglia Molo di Ponente
latitude 43º 53.1'N longitude 8º 2.463'E
Located at the end of the short west mole at Oneglia on the east
side of Imperia. You can see the light below in the
background.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
| IT 5 |
Oneglia Molo di Levante
latitude 43º 53.004'N longitude 8º 2.43'E
Located at the end of the Oneglia breakwater on the east side of
Imperia. It's pretty invisible at this resolution, but the
Imperia light is visible just in front of the
spectator's feet.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
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| IT 6 |
 |
Capo Mele
latitude 43º 57.324'N longitude 8º 10.351'E
This handsome and historic lighthouse is built at the western
entrance to the Golfo di Genova. Located above the point of the
cape, on the northeast side of Andora.
Photo courtesy nouadhibou [webshots] |
| IT 7 |
Capo di Vado
(Vado Ligure)
latitude 44º 15.48'N longitude 8º 27.156'E
Capo di Vado is an prominent cape about 40 km west of Genova. Located on the SP1 coastal highway about 1.5 km south
of Vado Ligure.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
 |
Genova (Genoa)
| IT 8 |
 |
Voltri Breakwater
latitude 44º 24.954'N longitude 8º 46.193'E
Voltri is a modern commercial harbor developed about 11 km west of Genova. Located at the west end of the detached
breakwater at Voltri. Accessible only by boat.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
| IT 9 |
La Lanterna
di Genova (1543)
latitude 44º 24.282'N longitude 8º 54.284'E
Located on the Via al Largo della Lanterna, within walking
distance of the ferry terminal in downtown Genoa.
Photo courtesy Paolo C [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 10 |
 |
Molo Duca di Galliera
latitude 44º 23.334'N longitude 8º 56.296'E
Located at the end of the breakwater on the south side of the
entrance to the old harbor of Genova. The pier is not walkable, but
there is a boat service that carries fishermen to the end of the
pier.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
| IT 11 |
Molo Vecchio
The original lighthouse was much taller, with a focal plane
height of 21 m (69 ft); it was replaced by a short tower in 1909,
but it's not clear if that is also the present tower. Located on the
Molo Vecchio (Old Mole), a major commercial pier on the east side of
Genova's old harbor.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]
|
. |
| IT 12 |
 |
Punta Vagno
Standing on the mainland, this lighthouse guides ships
approaching the eastern entrance to the harbor of Genova. Located
near the foot of the Via Piave on the east side of downtown Genoa.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
Portofino Area (Riviera di Levante)
| IT 13 |
Camogli
latitude 44º 21.552'N longitude 9º 8.506'E
Located at the end of the breakwater at Camogli; accessible by
walking the pier.
Photo courtesy confusedvision [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 14 |
 |
Portofino
latitude 44º 18.115'N longitude 9º 12.844'E
The famous resort town of Portofino is located behind the
shelter of a steep promontory, with this lighthouse on the point.
The light station is accessible by a popular walk of about 1200 m from the town.
Photo courtesy newpn2000 [Flickr] |
| IT 15 |
Portofino Entrance
latitude 44º 18.158'N longitude 9º 12.599'E
The light is mounted on a bracket on the side of a 3-story
waterfront building. Located on the Calata Marconi in Portofino.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
| IT 16 |
 |
Rapallo
latitude 44º 20.586'N longitude 9º 14.078'E
Located at a right-angle bend in the main breakwater of Rapallo,
the Calata Andrea Doria.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
La Spezia
| IT 17 |
Isola
del Tino (Faro San Venerio) (1840)
The Isola del Tino is a wedge-shaped island off the western
entrance to the Golfo della Spezia, the harbor of La Spezia. The
light station is perched high atop the wedge facing the Ligurian
Sea. Accessible only by boat. The site is a military reservation and
is generally closed, but it is open each year on September 10, the
festival of San Venerio.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
| IT 18 |
 |
Isola
del Tino (Faro San Venerio) (1884)
Located adjacent to the original lighthouse.
Photo courtesy Massi Dex [Flickr] |
| IT 20 |
 |
Pegazzano (La Spezia Entrance Range Rear)
latitude 44º 5.662'N longitude 9º 49.221'E
Located on a slope above the inner harbor of La Spezia.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
| IT 21 |
La Spezia Molo Italia
latitude 44º 5.724'N longitude 9º 49.859'E
Located at the end of the Molo Italia on the waterfront of
downtown La Spezia, marking the entrance to the traditional inner
harbor.
Photo courtesy Pinco Pallo [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 22 |
 |
La Spezia Diga Foranea Estremità Est (Rada di La Spezia)
latitude 44º 4.776'N longitude 9º 52.719'E
Located at the east end of the outer breakwater (diga foranea)
of La Spezia just off Punta Santa Teresa south of Muggiano, marking
the gap between the breakwater and the shore. Accessible only by
boat.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
| IT 23 |
Punta Santa Teresa
Located on the point 800 m south of Muggiano, opposite the end
of the outer breakwater of La Spezia.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
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|
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Northern Tuscano
| IT 24 |
 |
Marina di
Carrara
Marina di Carrara is the port serving the famous Carrara
quarries, which produce some of the world's finest marble. The docks
and breakwater are crowded with marble waiting to be shipped.
Located on the west side of the waterfront in Marina di Carrara.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [cyberlites] |
| IT 25 |
Viareggio
latitude 43º 51.852'N longitude 10º 14.592'E
Viareggio is a small port about 20 km northwest of Pisa.
Located near the foot of the south mole on the waterfront of
Viareggio, at the north corner of the harbor adjacent to the Burlamacca canal.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [cyberlites] |
 |
| IT 26 |
 |
Viareggio Nuova Diga (New Breakwater)
latitude 43º 51.468'N longitude 10º 14.226'E
Located near the foot of the breakwater enclosing the harbor of
Viareggio, about 600 m southwest of the older lighthouse.
Photo courtesy Daniela Giannecchini
[Flickr] |
| IT 28 |
Secche della Meloria (1709) (Torre della Meloria) |
The Secche della Meloria is a large and very dangerous shoal
extending to the northwest of Livorno. The first tower was built by
Genoa, which controlled this coast until a decisive naval battle in
1284, within sight of the shoal, established Pisa's independence. A
second tower was built in 1598, and the third was ordered in 1709 by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. However, it is not
clear whether any of these towers actually carried a light. Located
on the shoal about 6 km west of Livorno. Accessible only by
boat. |
| IT 29 |
Seche della Meloria (194?) (South End)
Located on the shoal a short distance southeast of the Torre
della Meloria. Accessible only by boat.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
| IT 30 |
 |
Livorno Diga Marzocco
latitude 43º 33.462'N longitude 10º 17.436'E
Located at the end of the Marzocco breakwater on the north side
of Livorno's traditional harbor.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
| IT 31 |
Livorno Diga Curvilinea North
Located at the north end of the Diga Curvilinea, where the
breakwater joins the straight Diga Meloria. The active light
is the little one, the large one is turned off. Accessible only by boat (the breakwater does not connect to
shore).
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
 |
| IT 31S |
 |
Livorno Diga Curvilinea South End
latitude 43º 33.114'N longitude 10º 17.358'E
Located
at the south end of the Diga Curvilinea, the curved breakwater
protecting the harbor of Livorno.
Photo courtesy TR Bennet [webshots]
|
| IT 32 |
Livorno
latitude 43º 32.616'N longitude 10º 17.682'E
This lighthouse is a copy of a famous tower built in 1304 and
tragically destroyed during World War II. Located on the Livorno
waterfront opposite the harbor entrance.
Photo courtesy paolofal [webshots] |
 |
| IT 33 |
Vada (Torre del Faro di Vada) |
Built in 1279, this tower served both defensive and navigational
purposes. It's history as a lighthouse is poorly known, but a modern
light was installed on the tower in 1867. Located in Vada, a town
about 25 km south of Livorno. |
| IT 34 |
Secche di Vada
This waveswept light is located on a shoal about 8 km west
southwest of Vada. The original light was a
pile lighthouse similar
to the one built around the same time on Secche della Meloria (see
above). Accessible only by boat.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
Southern Tuscana
| IT 35 |
Piombino (La Rocchetta)
Piombino, located at the end of a blunt peninsula jutting out of
the Tuscan coast, is the ferry port for Elba.
Photo courtesy anares67 [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 36 |
 |
Marina di Scarlino (Estrusca Marina) Port Office
latitude 42º 53.216'N longitude 10º 46.961'E
Located at the end of the north mole at the Marina di Scarlino
(formerly the Etrusca Marina), a recreational boat harbor at
Portiglioni.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
| IT 37 |
Punta Ala
latitude 42º 48.456'N longitude 10º 44.16'E
The lighthouse (probably the marina office) is at the end of the
short north mole of the marina.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
| IT 40 |
Talamone
latitude 42º 33.084'N longitude 11º 8.016'E
The present lighthouse is a copy of the original, which was
heavily damaged in World War II. Located at the end of the Via dei
Mille, at the tip of a sharp promontory sheltering the harbor of
Talamone.
Photo courtesy Ornella173 [webshots] |
 |
| IT 41 |
 |
Punta Lividonia
This lighthouse marks the northwestern tip of Monte Argentario,
a mountainous almost-island connected tenuously to the mainland by
sandbars and a causeway. Located on the spectacular coastal road,
the Via Panoramica, about 2.5 km northwest of the town of
Monte Argentario.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
| IT 42 |
Porto Ercole (Forte della Rocca)
This lighthouse stands on the southeastern tip of Monte
Argentario. Located at the end of the Via della Rocca in Porto
Ercole.
Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist] |
 |
|
|
Arcipelago Toscano (Tuscan Islands)
| IT 43 |
 |
Punta del Ferraione The original light was on a mast rising from the keeper's house.
Located at the end of a peninsula sheltering the harbor of Porto di
Capraia.
Photo courtesy Sergio Thor [webshots] |
| IT 45 |
Scoglietto
latitude 42º 49.718'N longitude 10º 19.857'E
This little lighthouse stands atop a small islet about 1 km north of Portoferraio. Accessible only by boat, but passengers
arriving on ferries to Portoferraio have an excellent view.
Photo courtesy Stefano [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 46 |
 |
Forte Stella (Portoferraio)
latitude 42º 48.978'N longitude 10º 20.034'E
The lighthouse is built on a northern rampart of Forte Falcone,
a fortress built in the 16th century by Cosimo I de' Medici; the
star-shaped fort is known locally as Forte Stella.
Photo courtesy Martin Hapl [Flickr] |
| IT 47 |
Palmaiola
Palmaiola is a small, very steep island in the Piombino Channel
about 4 km east of Cavo, Elba, and 8 km southwest of Piombino on the mainland. Located at the highest point of the
island. Accessible only by boat; there are distant views from the
northeastern coast of Elba and from ferries crossing the strait.
Photo courtesy Daniel Witting [Flickr] |
 |
| IT 48 |
 |
Capo Focardo
The lighthouse is built just inside the high walls of the fort,
making it difficult to get a good photo.
Located on a promontory at the south side of the entrance to
the harbor of Porto Azzurro (Longone) near the southeastern corner
of Elba.
Photo courtesy Konstantin Milenkovic
[Flickr] |
| IT 49 |
Marina di Campo
Located on the hillside above the foot of the breakwater at
Campo on the south coast of Elba.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
 |
| IT 50 |
Monte Porro
latitude 42º 43.672'N
longitude 10º 14.21'E
|
Located atop a steep promontory at the western entrance to the
Golfo di Campo, about 2.5 km south of Campo. |
| IT 51 |
Punta Polveraia
latitude 42º 47.658'N longitude 10º 6.618'E
This lighthouse marks the northwestern tip of Elba in a rather
wild natural area. Located at the end of Via del Faro about 2 km west of Patresi.
Accessible by a twisting mountain road.
Photo courtesy Egido Ferrighi [fari] |
 |
| IT 52 |
 |
Pianosa
For many decades it has been the site of Italy's most secure
prison, where the dons of the Mafia and other high-risk inmates are
imprisoned. Special permission is required to visit the island,
although once there the lighthouse appears to be accessible. Located
on the east side of the island.
Photo courtesy Francesca (persaperstrada74) [Flickr] |
| IT 53 |
Scoglio d'Africa |
The original light was a pile lighthouse, presumably similar to
the Secche della Meloria and Secche di Vada lights. Scoglio d'Africa
is a notoriously dangerous rock about 30 km due south of Pianosa. Accessible only by boat. |
| IT 54 |
 |
Formiche di Grosseto
Formiche (ants) is a term
Mediterranean sailors like to use for isolated rocks in the sea.
Located on a small rocky islet about 20 km due south of
Castiglione della Pescaia and a similar distance north of Giglio.
Accessible only by boat.
Photo courtesy BluMania [Flickr] |
| IT 55 |
Giglio Porto Molo di Levante (East Mole)
latitude 42º 21.659'N longitude 10º 55.273'E
The first mole light at Giglio Porto was built in 1865; by the
1930s there were lights on both moles. Located on the east mole of
Giglio Porto. Accessible by walking the mole; there are also
excellent views from ferries arriving at the harbor. |
 |
| IT 56 |
Giglio Porto Molo di Ponente (West Mole)
latitude 42º 21.656'N longitude 10º 55.223'E
Photo courtesy
Fatabugiarda [Flickr]
|
| IT 57 |
 |
Punta Fenaio
latitude 42º 23.298'N longitude 10º 52.865'E
Located on the northern tip of Giglio. It is not clear whether
there is land access to the station.
Photo courtesy superduke3d
[webshots] |
| IT 58 |
Giglio (Faro Antico) |
This lighthouse was built as the sole light for the island, but
its focal plane of 310 m (1017 ft) was much too high; the light was
often obscured by low clouds or fog. The condition of this historic
building is described as ottime
(optimal). Privately owned, it is currently for sale. Located on the
heights somewhere in the north central part of Giglio. |
| IT 59 |
 |
Capel Rosso (Punta di Capel Rosso)
latitude 42º 19.257'N longitude 10º 55.177'E
Located on the southern tip of Giglio; accessible by a hiking
trail from the end of a national park road.
Photo courtesy Federicochi [Flickr] |
| IT 60 |
Giannutri (Punta Rosso) |
Giannutri is a small island about 10 km south of the
Monte Argentario peninsula and the same distance southeast of Giglio.
The island is accessible by ferries from Porto Santo Stefano on
Monte Argentario. The lighthouse is said to have been built in 1861,
but it stood empty for many years. Located on Punta Rosso, the south
point of the island, apparently accessible by road and perhaps a
short hike. |
|
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Southern France
