Name and Location

Penisola Magnisi Lighthouse is a small coastal navigational light located on Punta Magnisi in the municipality of Priolo Gargallo, on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy. The lighthouse can be found at Strada Senza Nome, Priolo Gargallo (SR), 96010 Sicilia, Italy. Its coordinates are 37°09′29.7″ N, 15°14′03.2″ E.

Construction and History

The date of construction for Penisola Magnisi Lighthouse is not found in available maritime or heritage records. The lighthouse is unmanned and fully automated; no keeper's quarters or onsite staff remain. It is operated under the auspices of the Italian Navy's lighthouse service (Marina Militare, Servizio dei Fari).

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse structure is a small fixed tower, with a height of 10 meters above ground. The focal plane is not officially published, but is presumed to be close to the tower height. The light lantern is mounted on a simple platform or skeletal frame.

Light and Navigation

Penisola Magnisi Lighthouse is a minor coastal light (seamark:type "light_minor") with a character of group flashing white. The sequence is 1+(1), 1+(1), 1+(1), 1+(5) per NGA Pub. 113, and the grouping is 4 flashes per period of 12 seconds. The range is 11 nautical miles, and the sectors illuminated are from 090° (E) clockwise to 320° (NW).

Accessibility and Visiting

The site is on a working industrial coastline and does not have formal visitor facilities. Ground-level view may be obtained from the nearby service road, but the tower enclosure itself is not open to visitors. The lighthouse can be accessed by car via the SP or local service roads off the SS114 coastal highway; limited roadside parking near the base of the promontory.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surroundings of the lighthouse include Mediterranean scrub and, to the west, the industrial harbor area of Priolo Gargallo. The backdrop includes the rocky Punta Magnisi promontory, overlooking the Ionian Sea. Visitors can also enjoy coastal panoramas of the Ionian Sea, beaches at Melilli and Syracuse, Syracuse's historic center (Ortygia), and several Baroque towns of the Val di Noto.

Anecdotes and Folklore

No widely circulated local legends or keeper memoirs are associated with Penisola Magnisi Lighthouse. Its primary significance lies in its role as a reference light for small craft navigating between the busy petrochemical harbors of Priolo Gargallo and the open Ionian Sea.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is not listed under AIS or radar beacon reports at this site. The NGA Pub. 113 reference is E 1860, and it is also listed in Admiralty List of Lights as an Italian light for Sicily, east coast.

Further Information

• U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, “List of Lights, Radio Aids, and Fog Signals” (Pub. 113), 2010–10–22, p. E 1860
• Italian Navy (Marina Militare) – Lighthouse Service website: https://www.marina.difesa.it/cosa-facciamo/per-la-difesa-sicurezza/fari/Pagine/italia.aspx
• OpenStreetMap entry: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/266852945