The emblem of the city of Genoa, situated on the Capo di Faro’s ness, with their 76 meters of height, is the highest lighthouse of Mediterranean sea and the second in Europe.
The actual construction dates back to 1543, but until XII century a tower with a similar structure existed, born like watch-tower  to announce the arrival of suspected  boats and became as time passes a lighthouse too,  on which top people burnt brushwood to announce to navigates the access to the port. The first Lanterna at olive oil was built  in 1326 , its light was concentrated in a truss thanks to glassy crystals produced by  glass-workers Ligurians and Venetians. Probably the oldest  representation of this first Lanterna  dates back to 1371 and compares on a register’s cover of the maritime authority of the time.
In the XV century the tower was used as a prison and guarded, among others, Cyprus’ king.
At the beginning of XVI century it was built the fortress of Briglia, wanted by Luigi XII for the armies which garrisoned  the town :  the genoeses, insurgent against the Frenches , bombarded it, damaging Lanterna too, reduced to half tower. In 1543 it was rebuilt and the old battlements were replaced. Since this moment Lanterna overcame without serious consequences the naval bombardment of the Sun King in the end of XVI century, the fights of 1746 after Portoria’s revolt, the bombings of the second world war, as well as a lot of bad weathers (until, in the second world war, it was armed of lightning).Recently the power of the lighthouse increased considerably, whether  for introduction of new optics system, or for the introduction of news combustibles: the acetylene’s gas(1898), than pressurized oil (1905), until the electrification in 1936.

The Tower’s  history  from 1128 to nowadays.
According to some not official sourcing , in 1128 was built the first tower, tall just under the actual, with an architectural structure similar to the actual, but with three overlapping crenellated logs. At her top were lighten up, to advise the ships approaching, bundles of dry stalks of heather or broom.
The documents of the XI century, the first chronicles and the officials acts of the rising  Genoese municipality produces sures facts on the signal tower, but not her exactly data of building.
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The pedestrian promenade
The Lanterna's pedestrian promenade was built in 2001 in order to connect the city with its symbol and to create a sort of terrace on Genoa's Port, giving back the harbor area to the city. 800 metres long, the promenade runs through the ruins of the seventeenth and the nineteenth century walls. The promenade has been thought to link the Ferry Terminal directly with The Lanterna, but because of some road works, it is a bit more difficult to reach it. Starting from the Ferry Terminal, you can  enter the first part of the promenade and you will find the yard work. Then turn into Via Milano along the yard and go through it until you'll be facing the tunnel entrance, where you will find a stairway with the informations to get to the Lanterna. The promenade's structure is made of wood and iron, because of it, it's not possible to ride it with bikes, which have to be carried while walking.