Name and Location

The Fanale di Livorno, also known as the "Fanale maggiore" or historically as the "Fanale dei Pisani," is a principal lighthouse marking the entrance to Livorno's outer harbor. It is located at the tip of the Molo Mediceo pier in Livorno, Italy.

Construction and History

The current structure was commissioned on September 16, 1956. Prior to this, there was a smaller medieval lantern, which gave rise to its old name "Fanale dei Pisani." The lighthouse has been rebuilt over time to accommodate larger shipping and more powerful optics, replacing earlier masonry beacons.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a functional modernist lantern tower with a reinforced concrete core clad in white-painted masonry and a metal lantern room. It has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of approximately 7 meters at the base, rising to a focal plane of 52 meters above mean sea level, with an overall height of about 45 meters.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a group flashing white light every 20 seconds (Fl (4) W 20 s). The nominal range is 24 nautical miles, with a reserve range of 18 miles. It also transmits Morse code "L" on radar every 30 seconds as a Racon signal and serves as an AIS Base Station.

Accessibility and Visiting

The pier and base of the tower are open to pedestrians, but climbing the tower is generally not permitted for safety reasons. Visitors can access the area by car or on foot via the seaside promenade along the Darsena Vecchia and Darsena Nuova.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the top of the lighthouse, visitors can enjoy unobstructed views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Elba Island on clear days, and the livornese coastline. The surrounding area features terrazza Mascagni (seafront promenade), Fortezza Nuova and Fortezza Vecchia, Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori, and the historic center of Livorno with its canals.

Anecdotes and Folklore

According to local folklore, fishermen speak of "La Lanternina," a glowing phantom light seen offshore on foggy nights – likely a Raman scattering effect misperceived as a second beacon. Pre-automation keepers maintained daily logbooks that have survived in the Livorno State Archives, recounting fierce winter storms and clandestine smuggling attempts.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and remotely monitored by the Italian Navy Lighthouse Service (Marina Militare). It has been an active aid to navigation since its construction and remains one of the most important navigational aids on Italy's western coast.

Further Information

For further information, please refer to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's List of Lights – Pub. 113 (2010), the Italian Navy Lighthouse Service official site, and Kiessling's book "I fari della Toscana" (1998).