Standing at 76 meters in height, the Lanterna is the tallest lighthouse of the Mediterranean Sea, and the symbol and nickname of Genoa.
Used since time immemorial to signal the city to sailors, and as a defense fortress, in the past the lighthouse had a little sister on the exact opposite side of the port.
Along its length, there are myriads of hidden secrets and memories: in the year 1600 a (now almost invisible) propitiatory plaque was walled into the tower to chase away the dangerous lightning bolts. In the past, the lighthouse had rope and wooden ladders that were easily removed in case of an enemy attack. The pinnacle of the structure, instead, has always been a lantern shining light onto the sea, once with the use of natural fuel such as olive oil and bundles of twigs.
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