Faro Voltiano
Faro Voltiano, Via Giacomo Scalini, 22034 Brunate CO, Italy
Name and Location
The Faro Voltiano, also known as the Volta Lighthouse, is a 20th-century monument-lighthouse located in Brunate (Como), Lombardy, Italy. It stands at an elevation of 901.2 meters above sea level, with coordinates 45°49′33.8″ N, 9°06′01.5″ E.
Construction and History
The Faro Voltiano was commissioned and laid out in 1927 to honor the physicist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the voltaic pile. It was inaugurated circa May-June 1927, marking the centenary of Volta's death. The lighthouse is classified as a historic monument by the Lombardy regional authority and listed in the regional cultural-heritage database.
Architecture and Materials
The Faro Voltiano is a cylindrical masonry tower with a gallery and lantern, evoking a classical/Art Deco "Pharos" form. It is constructed using local stone and brick, coated in light-colored stucco, with a metal lantern enclosure. The tower stands approximately 29 meters tall.
Light and Navigation
The Faro Voltiano was originally intended as a symbolic lighthouse to commemorate Volta. Although it no longer serves as an official aid to navigation, it still functions as a tourist belvedere. It is not classified as an AISM/DLTM-listed marine signal.
Accessibility and Visiting
Visitors can access the Faro Voltiano by road via Via Giacomo Scalini from Brunate town center or on foot using marked trails from Brunate funicular upper station and San Maurizio hamlet. The lighthouse is publicly accessible around the clock for exterior viewing, with interior visits subject to seasonal schedules and a small admission fee.
Notable Views and Landscape
The Faro Voltiano offers panoramic views of Lake Como, the city of Como, the western Alps, and the Po Valley plain. The surrounding landscape features wooded slopes of Mount Boletto and Mount San Maurizio, as well as pine and chestnut groves.
Anecdotes and Folklore
No anecdotes or folklore information available.
Technical and Operational Details
The Faro Voltiano is managed by the Regional Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Landscape of Lombardy in collaboration with the Comune di Brunate. It has no active light characteristic, nor does it have AIS or radar installations.
Further Information
For more information on visiting the Faro Voltiano, please consult the Comune di Brunate website.
Details
| Name | Faro Voltiano |
|---|---|
| City | Brunate |
| Country | Italy |
| Coordinates | 45.826056, 9.100429 |
| Website | https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/architetture/schede/CO250-00742/ |
| Year of construction | 1927 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Construction material | ["Stone","Brick"] |
| Focal height | 930 |
| Tower height | 29 |
| Access description | By road, On foot |
| Accessible | true |
| Landscape type | Wooded slopes of Mount Boletto and Mount San Maurizio; pine and chestnut groves |
| View description | Panoramic scope: 360° vista over Lake Como, the city of Como, the western Alps, and the Po Valley plain |
| Facilities | Small ticket office, Panoramic terrace, Interpretive panels about Volta and the local landscape |
| Opening hours | Around the clock for exterior viewing; interior visits (climbing the tower) are subject to seasonal schedules |
| Nearby attractions | ["Brunate funicular (Como–Brunate cable railway)","Chiesa di San Lorenzo (Romanesque church in Brunate)","Sanctuary of San Maurizio (medieval pilgrimage church)","Hiking trails on the pre-Alpine ridge"] |
| AIS Radar | false |
| Automated | false |