Museum of the Lighthouse "La Lanterna"
The museum of the lighthouse of Genoa "La Lanterna" is part of the Mu.MA - Maritime and Migration Museums ,together with the Galata Maritime Museum, Pegli Maritime Museum and the Commenda di Prè, home of the MEI National Museum of the Italian Migration.
The Lanterna of Genoa is the symbol of the city, the highest lighthouse in the Mediterranean, second in Europe.
It has been a tower of signaling and armed guard over the centuries, a stage for tightrope walkers, prison. It was built in its present form in 1543, after the destruction of the old lighthouse in 1514. The first stone of the Lanterna wall was placed in 1626. This 20-km-long wall was completed in 1639, thus becoming the longest city wall in Europe and second in the world, in length, only to the Chinese Wall.
The rock on which it stands is 40 meters high, the tower 77 meters, its summit is therefore 117 meters above sea level. Its rotating optic projects light up to 57 km away.
There are 172 steps to climb to get to the first terrace (the only one that can be visited).
Top Ten
A visit to the museum of the Lanterna begins with the path that leads to the ancient lighthouse, overlooking the Port of Genoa.
Continue on to the open air museum of the park, which runs adjacent to the seventeenth-century fortifications and the Porta Nuova della Lanterna, the ancient western gateway to Genoa.
At the base of the lighthouse, inside the ancient fortifications is the Museum of the Lanterna, which is currently being updated: in the first rooms, the story of the Lanterna is told; later rooms, known as the "Cannons", house lights and lanterns.
Leaving the museum, continue towards the lighthouse, which visitors have the opportunity to climb its 172 steps to the first panoramic terrace to admire a fascinating and unique 360° view of the city and its port.
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Tripadvisor
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter