North Lighthouse

The lighthouse at the north end of the Diga Curvilinea (Curvilinear Breakwater).
Il faro all'estremità nord della Diga Curvilinea.

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Post 3,607 of 3,665 - This blog will end on December 31st

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Our farewell / Il nostro saluto

Coming Down

Visiting the lighthouse: coming down...
Visitando il faro: scendendo le scale...

Going Up

Visiting the lighthouse: going up...
Visitando il faro: salendo le scale...

The Whole Lighthouse

The perspective is not so great, but I was able to squeeze the 50-meter tower in a photo from from below.
La prospettiva non è il massimo, ma sono riuscito a far entrare la torre di 50 metri in una foto dal basso.

Statue & Lighthouse

The statue of the Madonna dei Popoli (Our Lady of the Peoples) and the lighthouse at the south end of the Diga Curvilinea (Curvilinear Breakwater). (Already posted on Instagram)
La statua della Madonna dei Popoli ed il faro all'estremità sud della Diga Curvilinea. (Già pubblicato su Instagram)

Detail of the Lighthouse

Detail of the 52-meter tall “Fanale dei Pisani” (Pisans' Lighthouse), built in 1305, blown up in 1944, rebuilt in 1956.

(Already posted on Instagram)

See also: The Lighthouse

Versione italiana

Lux Nautis Securitas

This is a monument to the Navy crews who once manned our lighthouses: it was erected in 1993 inside the Porto Mediceo. Last Sunday I was quite surprised to see that it wasn't there anymore...

April 2014

March 2015

The plaque that was on the base of the monument: “Lux nautis securitas” (Light safety for the sailors), 1993.

Versione italiana

Theme Day: Landmark

Our nicely restored lighthouse is surely a local landmark of note.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

See also: The Lighthouse - The Caged Lighthouse - On Top of the Lighthouse - The Fresnel Lens - Prevalida turris

Versione italiana

Rita Schepers

The 184-meter container ship “Rita Schepers” was built in 1997 at the New Szczecin Shipyard in Szczecin, Poland. The ship is currently undergoing some maintenance works here in Livorno.

External links: Szczecin Shipyard (Wikipedia)
See also: The Lighthouse

Versione italiana

Prevalida turris

In 1358 Petrarch wrote Itinerarium Syriacum (Syriac Itinerary) as an itinerary to the Holy Land for a friend to keep him company, as Petrarch himself was not willing to make the long sea voyage. He wrote:

«Post hec paucis passuum milibus, portus et ipse manufactus, Pisanum vocant, aderit et fere contiguum Liburnum, ubi prevalida turris est, cuius in vertice pernox flamma navigantibus tuti litoris signum prebet»

(After a few miles there is the man-made harbor called Pisan port, close and almost adjoining Livorno, where a very strong tower arise, from whose top every night the flame shows the sailors the safe shore)

He was describing our lighthouse.

See also: The Lighthouse - The Caged Lighthouse - On Top of the Lighthouse - The Fresnel Lens
External links: Petrarch - Lighthouse (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

The Fresnel Lens

After the restoration works the lighthouse is at last free of the scaffolding. Here is a detail of the recently repainted top, with the Fresnel lens clearly visible inside the lantern.

See also: The Lighthouse - The Caged Lighthouse - On Top of the Lighthouse
External links: Lighthouse - Fresnel lens (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

The North Lighthouse

We do not post as many old postcards as we used to, but we do not really like to watermark pictures. Sadly, the usual slobs keep posting these images without acknowledging the source.

The lighthouse at the northern end of the “Diga Curvilinea” (Curvilinear Breakwater), in a vintage postcard.

The same tower, seen from a different angle. A more recent structure now lies further north: the “Diga della Meloria” (Meloria Breakwater). In both images you can see old cannons recycled as bollards.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

Search labels: postcard
See also: Over the Porto Mediceo - Molo Novo

Versione italiana

On Top of the Lighthouse

I already showed you our 52-meter lighthouse encased in a scaffolding, but now we can actually see people at work around the lantern room and even on top of it.

See also: The Lighthouse - The Caged Lighthouse
External links: Lighthouse (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

The Caged Lighthouse

When I last wrote about the lighthouse I told you that its look has recently changed: as you can see the 52-meter tower is now encased in an impressive scaffolding, probably for some kind of restoration.

See also: The Lighthouse

Versione italiana

The Lighthouse

In 1305 Livorno was only a tiny hamlet, but we were able to trick the Pisans into building this 52 meter tall lighthouse for our harbor. Genoa helped, defeating Pisa in the Battle of Meloria (1284) and destroying the lighthouse once placed on the islet, just in front of Livorno. Gratefully, or mockingly so, we called it “Fanale dei Pisani”, which is literally Pisans' Beacon, but it was intended as Pisans' Lighthouse.

The original tower lasted more than six centuries: it was blown up in 1944 by German sappers. After the war the lighthouse was faithfully rebuilt, mostly using stones from the wreckage, and went back in service in 1956. Its look has recently changed, but we will see this another day...

External links: Fanale dei Pisani (Museo Galileo)

Versione italiana

Three Cranes

Three cranes, the lighthouse and several yachts against a dark sky. (Picture taken in September 2012)

This is our 1500th post!

Versione italiana

A Lighthouse

A picturesque “lighthouse” seen at a Sunday market in “Via della Madonna”.

Versione italiana

Green Light

The green light at the entrance of the “Porto Mediceo”, from where one can watch and photograph all the passing ships.

See also: Norwegian Jade - On Lookout - Voyager of the Seas - Elqui - Pilotina Due - Turning Ships - Bye Bye Vespucci

Versione italiana

Doll Lighthouse

Tired of dollhouses? Try a lighthouse. This is from “L'Arte di Creare” (The Art of Creating), a local shop, and was on display at the “village” of the TAN.

Mistral

This strange boat is the “Mistral”, a tug converted in yacht built by the Benetti shipyard in 1962. On the background you can see the 52 meters tall “Fanale dei Pisani”.The converted tug is quite an odd product for a boat builder world famous for its wonderful luxury yachts.

Search labels: tug