Capo Mele Lighthouse

43°57′19″N 8°10′20″E / 43.955324°N 8.172273°E / 43.955324; 8.172273TowerConstructed1856Constructionmasonry towerHeight25 metres (82 ft)Shapeoctagonal tower with balcony and lantern on a red brick buildingMarkingswhite tower and lantern, grey metallic domePower sourcemains electricity OperatorMarina MilitareLightFirst lit1959 Focal height94 metres (308 ft)^[1]LensType OR T3Intensitymain: AL 1000 W
reserve: LABI 100 WRangemain: 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi)
reserve: 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)CharacteristicFl (3) W 15s.Italy no.1506 E.F.^[1][2]

Capo Mele Lighthouse (Italian: Faro di Capo Mele) is an active lighthouse in northwestern Italy. It is located on Capo Mele, on the border of the comunes of Andora (to the west) and Laigueglia (to the northeast) in the Province of Savona in Liguria.

History

The lighthouse was constructed by the Civil Engineers and completed in 1856. Its architecture was not changed from the original for almost half a century, and was repainted from yellow to red. A petroleum lamp was installed in 1909, later with acetylene until 1936. Like many other lighthouses in Italy, this lighthouse was severely damaged during World War II, and the extensive damage was repaired between 1947 and 1948. In 1949 it was electrified.

Description

The lighthouse is a circular 25 metres high masonry tower and the diameter of the lantern is 3.82 metres. It is reached by a staircase of 74 steps. Adjacent to the tower is a three-story brick building.

The lighthouse is still manned^[3] and is managed by the Command Area Lighthouses Navy based in La Spezia (which incidentally takes care of all the lighthouses in the Tyrrhenian). The Marina Militare is responsible for managing all the lights on an approximate 8000 kilometers of Italian coastline since 1910, using both military and civilian technicians.

See also

• List of lighthouses in Italy

References

• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Italy: Liguria". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

External links

AbruzzoApuliaCalabriaCampaniaEmilia-RomagnaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaLazioLiguriaMarcheSardiniaSicilyTuscanyVeneto