Name and Location

The Faro di Piave Vecchia (Old Piave River Lighthouse) is situated at Via del Faro, 35, Cavallino-Treporti (VE), Veneto, Italy. The lighthouse is located on the Adriatic coast, at the mouth of the historic Piave Vecchia river channel. Its geographic coordinates are 45°28′42.8″ N, 12°34′59.6″ E.

Construction and History

The construction date of the Faro di Piave Vecchia is not documented in available sources, although local archives suggest an early-20th-century origin. The lighthouse was automated at some point, but the exact date of automation is unknown. Despite this uncertainty, the lighthouse remains operational to this day.

Architecture and Materials

The Faro di Piave Vecchia features a traditional masonry tower with a cylindrical design, balcony, and lantern. The likely materials used in its construction are brick or stone core with smooth cement render, common in Veneto coastal lights. The lighthouse's color scheme is white for the tower and keeper's house, with a dark-colored roof on the lantern room. The height of the focal plane is 45 meters above mean sea level.

Light and Navigation

The Faro di Piave Vecchia emits a group of four white flashes every 24 seconds – Fl (4) W 24s, with a detailed sequence of 0.2-second flash, followed by 2.8 seconds of eclipse, repeated in groups of four, and then 14.8 seconds of eclipse. The lighthouse's range is approximately 18 nautical miles.

Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can view the lighthouse from the exterior, but the tower and lantern are closed to the public. To access the site, drive or cycle along Via del Faro from Cavallino-Treporti town center; limited parking is available near the site. No visitor facilities, such as restrooms or a café, are provided on-site.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape offers unobstructed views north and south along the Adriatic coast, as well as to the west, wetland lagoons, and pinewood dunes. The area is also an important stopover for migratory birds.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore suggests that during World War I, the adjacent Piave Vecchia channel was used secretly to smuggle supplies inland, with the lighthouse's light guiding small craft under cover of darkness. Another legend holds that on foggy nights, keepers heard phantom church bells drifting in from the Venetian lagoon.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse uses mains electricity with an emergency battery backup, typical for Italian coastal lights. No AIS transponder or radar installation has been reported at this site.

Further Information

For further information on nautical charts and references, consult Istituto Idrografico della Marina (Italian Navy) charts (Chart 41), US NGA Pub. 113 "List of Lights, Radio Aids and Fog Signals" (2010-10-22 edition), and Admiralty List of Lights (volume K).