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Exploring the technology of the Lanterna, the tallest lighthouse in the Mediterranean
The Lighthouse of Genoa, called Lanterna, is a symbol for the city.
At a height of 77 metres (with a focal height of 117 metres), it is the tallest lighthouse in the Mediterranean Sea and the second tallest in Europe (the first is on 82.5 metres tall on Île Vierge, France).
The current tower was built in 1543, but there has been a lighthouse on the site since the 12th century. The lighthouse was modernised and restored during the 20th century and has been open to the public since 1994.
The Lanterna Museum is adjacent to the tower, within the fortifications of the walls of Genoa.
Established in 2006, the museum covers the history of Genoa and its port. The museum exhibits lanterns, lenses and technical instruments to show the workings of the lighthouse and its evolution over time. A collection, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, describes the various constituent parts of a lighting system with rotating optics for naval signalling.
The collection of technical instruments includes lenses, headlights, flashers, exchangers and valves. All the instruments dated to the first half of the 20th century. Some of them are from the first quarter of the century, before modern electrification (1936).
One of the most ancient and interesting objects is an instrument from the first quarter of the 20th century that uses the Fresnel lens, a type of composite compact lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.
The Fresnel lens is thinner and lighter compared to a conventional lens because it is divided into a set of concentric annular sections. It can capture more oblique light from a light source. The light from a lighthouse equipped with a Fresnel lens can be visible over greater distances.
Other important scientific instruments show the evolution of the clockwork engine deriving from the mechanics of tower clocks. The collection includes an example of a clockwork for rotating lenses, produced by Alfonso Curci e Figlio in Naples for the Italian Navy in the first quarter of the 20th century.
From the early 20th century, an independent flashing acetal or electromechanical headlight was also produced in Italy.
The collection also contains instruments which are examples of important European industrial history. There are several flashers and exchangers from France, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany.
One exchanger was produced by German manufacturer Pintsch Bamag. Founded in 1870 by Julius Pintsch, who was primarily known for the invention of Pintsch gas, this uses a compressed fuel gas for illumination purposes.
A propane flasher made by French producer Clesse Mandet (today Clesse Industries), whose long history originates with a laboratory founded by Georges Clesse in 1850.
This blog post is a part of the Europeana Common Culture project, which explores varied aspects of our shared cultural heritage across Europe.