THE LIGHTHOUSE OF LIVORNO

 by Annamaria “Lilla” Mariotti

This lightouse was built in 1304 after that a previous light existing since 1154 and located near Porto Pisano, a little far North,  built to mark out the many dangerous shoals at its entrance had been abandoned  because the small harbour started to be covered with sand.    The new location was more suitable.   Livorno,  is now  and was  in the past a very important harbour both for passengers and merchandises, is located on the  Tuscany coasts of Central Italy,  on the Mediterranean  sea.  The new tower, erected using local natural stones, is made of two embattled cylinders for a total heigh of 47 meters, it has 11 floors reachable by a spiral staicase, cut in the thickness of the inside wall itself.  On the top of its lantern there is a rotating optics giving out four white lamps every 20 seconds that can be seen at 24 miles.    It is possible yo have a better view of the tower from the sea because, being the lighhthouse located on the extreme edge of the harbour, it cannot be properly seen from the land. 

In 1944, during WWII, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by the withdrawing German forces and rebuilt in 1956 for a will of the whole  population, following the original design and using for the outside facing as many original stones as possible. 

This lighthouse has been standing for many centuries and it is one of the oldest existing on the Italian coasts still in use.   Recently it has  been declared a national monument.

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