When you speak of Genoa, Italy, the one predominant image is the tall lighthouse reigning over the harbor.
Indeed, the Lanterna in Genoa is a city symbol and landmark. Standing tall at 117 meters above sea level, this lighthouse is the world's oldest working lighthouse and certainly one of the world's tallest. It actually is a 77-meter high tower but as it is perched on a rock 40 meters in height, its total height reaches 117 meters. It occupies the site known as the Capo di Faro, also called the Beacon Promontory.
This ancient lighthouse has proved to be a welcoming light to boats and vessels for several centuries now. The Lanterna, as it is shown today, dates back to 1543, during Andrea Doria's career...