Rome's Lighthouse

Map

Faro del Gianicolo

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Lying 15 miles from the sea, Rome may seem a strange location for a lighthouse (faro). However, in 1911, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy, a lighthouse was presented to the the nation's capital as a gift from Italian emigrants who had settled in Argentina. 

The lighthouse, which stands on the Janiculum Hill (Colle del Gianicolo), was designed by the architect Manfredo Manfredi (1859-1927), who had worked on Il Vittoriano (the monument to King Victor Emmanuel II), which was also inaugurated inthe same year. 
 
The Faro del Gianicolo, as it is known in Italian, stands 20 metres high and is topped by four lions. The lantern was originally designed to beam out the three colours of the Italian flag on the evenings of national holidays.