This
lightouse was built in 1304 after that a previous light existing since 1154 and
located near Porto Pisano, a little far North,
built to mark out the many dangerous shoals at its entrance had been
abandoned because the small harbour
started to be covered with sand.
The new location was more suitable.
Livorno, now and
in the past a very important harbour both for passengers and merchandises,
is located on the 
Northern Italian coasts of
Tuscany, on the Mediterranean
sea. The new tower, erected
using natural stones, is made of two embattled cylinders for a total heigh of 47
meters, it has 11 floors reachable by a spiral
staicase, cut in the thickness of
the inside wall itself. On the top
of its lantern there is a rotating optics giving out four white lamps every 20
seconds that can be seen at 24 miles.
In
1944, during WWII, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by the withdrawing
German forces and rebuilt in 1956 following the original design and using for
the outside facing as many original stones as possible.
This
lighthouse is the oldest existing on the Italian coasts still in use and it has
been declared a national monument.
[
Read this article in italian ]
