Inside the Lantern Museum, in the “Cannons” rooms, there is an interesting collection of instruments: here the visitor can understand the functioning of these important navigation aids, and not only (indeed, the Lanterna also works as a aerobeacon for Cristoforo Colombo Airport nearby).

The exhibits illustrate the history of man in refining the maritime signaling technique, with illustrative videos on their functioning and testimonials.

It is possible to observe closely the fascinating operation of a motor weight watch system with Fresnel lenses, positioned on rotating optics calibrated with extreme precision, so that the flashes of light and eclipse could maintain the identifying characteristic of lighthouses on nautical charts. Once loaded manually, the mechanical system guaranteed the optics would keep on rotating for about seven hours: nowadays, modern technology uses an electric motor.