THE
ARCHITECTURE OF ITALIAN LIGHTHOUSES
The first book by Cristiana
Bartolomei
di Zac Crisaldi
 The need of a point of reference on land has been felt by mariners since ancient times, when man first began going to sea. The necessity of making navigation safer brought to the building of structures visible from sea during the night as well as in daytime, by means of some kind of optical
device projecting a beam of light with specific colours and frequencies. On such basis it is possible to document a real typological and architectural evolution in lighthouse construction that, from the great light of Alexandria to the present day, has marked the history of architecture.
Italian lighthouses constitute a historical and cultural resource for the country's architectural heritage as well as for the coastal landscape of each region.
 Every light is unique in its geographical location and context. Lighthouses are planned to last through the centuries and to mark the features of the local environment, adding to its natural beauty their own style and architectural value.
This little-known heritage has been studied in detail only by a few scholars (Professor Francesca Fatta, from the Università Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, among them) and, in the past, divulged through the 1873 publication of the volume "Album dei fari. Illustrato dalle notizie intorno ai loro caratteri e posizione", commissioned by the Royal Ministry of Public Works.
The present volume, The Architecture of Italian Lighthouses, inaugurates a series of publications celebrating these symbols of safety through a detailed and illustrated study of their typological and architectural features.
 This work is complemented by an illustrated catalogue of 45 lighthouses, still working today along the Adriatic and the Ionian coasts. The book describes them, for the first time, with measured drawings and original illustrations, pointing out typologies and materials.
Other forthcoming volumes will introduce the reader to lighthouses along the Tyrrhenian coasts, on the Isle of Sardinia, and other smaller islands.
Geometry, construction, architecture and optics constitute are the leading thread of this specialized analysis, which is necessary to fully understand the physical and metaphysical nature of our lighthouses.
Ours is a long journey, from the lighthouse of Punta Pezzo, a sentinel guarding the Strait of Messina, to the Gulf of Trieste, where human ingenuity is displayed at its best in the extraordinary architecture of the lighthouse of Victory…
The author invites you on a special journey along our coasts. Surprise, charm and discovery await you.
 The
author.
Cristiana Bartolomei was born in Ravenna, in 1969. After graduating in Architectural Engineering at the University of Bologna, in 2000 she attended the Summer Program in Architecture, History, and Urban Design organized by the University of Notre Dame in London. In 2002, she completed her Ph. D. Programme in Drawing and Measured Drawing of Architectural Heritage with a thesis entitled: “Light
and Sea. Geometry and Typology of Italian Lighthouses.”
In 2002 she attended a further Master Course in Architettura per lo spettacolo at the University of Genova, focusing her studies on the re-creation of urban scenery for the theatre and cinema, interior design for museums, and video exhibitions.
A Master Course in Architectural Heritage Restoration at the School of Architecture in Genova followed in 2005. At present she is Visiting Professor at the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara.
She is also the Head of Cathedra Design, an architectural and engineering company based in Bologna, which promotes the principles of traditional design. Together with her team, she has won first place in various design competitions and has been invited to display the company’s work in many exhibitions.
The
book.
"L’Architettura dei Fari Italiani - Vol 1 – Mar Adriatico e Mar Ionio",
by Alinea Editrice, is available in italian ed in english. composed by 288 pages, cm 30 x 24,
with over 250 color illustrations. Cofanetto in astuccio trasparente con cartoline, segnalibri e calendari inclusi.
ISBN 88-8125-969-9. Price: € 65,00.
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