Name and Location

Svjetionik Sveti Ivan na pučini (“Saint John Lighthouse at Sea”) is a mid-19th-century offshore lighthouse located in the northern Adriatic Sea, approximately 4 nautical miles west-northwest of Rovinj, Istria County, Croatia. Its coordinates are 45° 02′ 35″ N, 13° 36′ 51″ E (decimal 45.0430842 N, 13.6141963 E).

2. Construction and History

Svjetionik Sveti Ivan na pučini was built in 1853 under the Austrian Empire’s maritime administration. The lighthouse was constructed to warn mariners of submerged hazards around Hrid Sv. Ivan and improve safety on the busy Rovinj-Venice coastal route.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a cylindrical stone tower with attached keeper's quarters (now unoccupied) built using local limestone masonry, topped by a lantern room made of cast iron and glass. The style is functional mid-19th-century lighthouse vernacular, unadorned and robust to withstand open-sea conditions.

4. Light and Navigation

The focal plane of the lighthouse is approximately 30 meters above sea level (estimated from tower height plus rock elevation). The light characteristic is speculative and not publicly disclosed. The range of the light is also not publicly known. The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation, managed by Plovput (Croatian maritime signaling agency).

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse and islet are not open to the general public; no scheduled tours are available. Visitors can only reach the site by private boat or charter due to difficult landing caused by wave-scoured rock steps.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

There is no information on notable views or landscape related to this lighthouse.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

According to Rovinj fishermen's tales, early keepers survived harsh winters beset by storms, living off rainwater and fish.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated; the original oil-fired apparatus has been replaced by an electric rotating beacon powered by solar panels and backed up from the mainland by radio link. The lighthouse is monitored remotely from Plovput's control center in Split.

9. Further Information

For more information, visit the Plovput website at https://www.plovput.hr/pomorska-signalizacija/svjetionici/svjetionik/a/view/id/21 or consult Wikidata (Q28376007) and Croatian Wikipedia (hr:Svjetionik Hrid Sv. Ivan na pučini).