Name and Location

Farul Genovez, also known locally as "Little Lighthouse" or "Old Town Lantern", is a historic monument located at Strada Remus Opreanu 12, Constanța 900178, Romania. The coordinates are 44°10′19″ N, 28°39′53″ E.

2. Construction and History

Farul Genovez was built in 1861 as part of the Romanian Danube–Black Sea Canal initiatives to improve the port. It is believed to be named after medieval Genoese trading colonies that once frequented Dobrogea's ports. The lighthouse originally served sailing-ship traffic into Constanța's natural harbor and was deactivated for navigation sometime in the 20th century.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a slender, cylindrical masonry tower with a small lantern room attached to a low single-storey base. It is constructed from local limestone or brick covered with white plaster, typical of Black Sea coastal installations. The style is utilitarian 19th-century port architecture with minimal ornament, reflecting functional neoclassical influences.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse once displayed a group-flashing white signal, but it no longer serves as an active navigational light. Its light range was historically up to 9 nautical miles. Today, modern port approach light structures farther east are used by navigators instead.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The grounds are open 24 hours to the public as part of the seaside promenade. The interior is generally closed to casual visitors but can be accessed through special-appointment guided visits arranged by the municipal cultural office. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair ramp to the tower room.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

Farul Genovez sits at the heart of Constanța's Old Town promenade, overlooking the Black Sea and the nearby Art Nouveau Casino building (c. 1910). Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the harbor entrance, the casino's terrace gardens, and distant coastal headlands on clear days.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local tradition holds that the tower's lamp once guided both merchantmen and the strolling ladies of the Casino's ballroom – hence the affectionate nickname "the lantern of lovers". Stories survive of a one-armed keeper during World War I who maintained the light by hand crank.

8. Technical and Operational Details

There is no AIS transmitter or radar installation on site. Chart references include former symbols on Romanian chart BA 947 (discontinued in late 20th century editions). Today's navigators use modern port approach light structures farther east.

9. Further Information

• For further information, visit the Romanian Wikipedia page ro:Farul_Genovez_din_Constanța, Wikidata Q12728147, OpenStreetMap https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/233094996, Ministry of Culture LMI listing CT-II-m-A-02800 (www.cultura.ro), or "Constanţa – Guide to the Seaside City", Municipal Cultural Office brochure, 2018.