Punta Penna Lighthouse

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.

Punta Penna

Punta Penna Lighthouse in 2007
Location	Vasto Abruzzo Italy
Coordinates	42°10′16″N 14°42′53″E
Tower
Constructed	1906 (first)
Foundation	2-story masonry keeper's house
Construction	concrete tower
Height	70 metres (230 ft)
Shape	octagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower and lantern, gray metallic lantern dome
Operator	Marina Militare
Light
First lit	1948 (current)
Focal height	84 m (277 ft)[1]
Lens	Type OR 500 focal length: 250 mm
Light source	main power
Intensity	main: AL 1000 W reserve: LABI 100 W
Range	main: 25 nmi (46 km; 29 mi) 18 nmi (33 km; 21 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5s
Italy no.	3856 E.F[2]

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]

See also

• List of tallest lighthouses in the world
• List of lighthouses in Italy

Notes

1. 276 ft (84 m) according to The Lighthouse Directory
2. "Punta penna". Marina Militare. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
3. Rowlett, Russ. "The Tallest Lighthouses". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
4. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Italy: Venice and Trieste". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
5. "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.
6. "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".

External links

• Servizio Fari Marina Militare (in Italian)