Punta Penna Lighthouse

Lighthouse

42°10′16″N 14°42′53″E / 42.171068°N 14.714586°E / 42.171068; 14.714586TowerConstructed1906 (first)Foundation2-story masonry keeper's houseConstructionconcrete towerHeight70 metres (230 ft)Shapeoctagonal tower with balcony and lanternMarkingswhite tower and lantern, gray metallic lantern domeOperatorMarina MilitareLightFirst lit1948 (current)Focal height84 m (277 ft)^[1]LensType OR 500
focal length: 250 mmLight sourcemain powerIntensitymain: AL 1000 W
reserve: LABI 100 WRangemain: 25 nmi (46 km; 29 mi)
18 nmi (33 km; 21 mi)CharacteristicFl W 5sItaly no.3856 E.F^[2]

Punta Penna Lighthouse (Italian: Faro di Punta Penna) is an active lighthouse in Vasto, Italy. At a height of 70 metres (230 ft) it is the eighth tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world,^[3] and the second tallest lighthouse in Italy after the Lantern of Genoa.^[4] It is located on strategically important spot in Via Madonna della Penna at the port of Vasto.

History

Built in 1906, it has repeatedly been the subject of reconstruction. In 1944, the retreating German army destroyed part of the old lighthouse and it was demolished. Reconstruction started in 1946 to the design of architect Olindo Tarcione; it reopened on 2 May 1948.^[5]

The lighthouse is unusual as it looks like a regular brick building with a two-story base which provided housing for the light keeper family and also houses some administrative offices.^[6]

A spiral staircase of 307 steps leads up to the summit.^[5]

Notes

^ 276 ft (84 m) according to The Lighthouse Directory
^ "Punta penna". Marina Militare. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "The Tallest Lighthouses". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Italy: Venice and Trieste". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ ^a ^b "I 104 anni del faro di Punta Penna, storie vere: 2007, l'anno dei naufragi" [The 104 years of the lighthouse at Punta Penna, true stories: 2007, year of shipwrecks]. vastoweb.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
^ "F.A.Q. (Domande frequenti)". Marina Militare. Retrieved February 8, 2010.

References

List of Lights, Pub. 113: The West Coasts of Europe and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Azovskoye More (Sea of Azov) (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 192. as "Punta della Penna".