Most of Italy (officially the Italian Republic, Repubblica Italiana in Italian) occupies a long peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Adriatic and Ionian Seas on the east and the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas to the west; the country also includes the Mediterranean's two largest islands, Sicily and Sardinia, and many smaller islands. With this geography Italy has a very long coastline reckoned by geographers at about 7600 km (4722 mi). Guarding this coast are many lighthouses; the Directory lists more than 400. Italy is divided into 20 regions (regioni), many of them well known outside the country in their own right; the regions are subdivided into provinces. The region of Liguria is located in the northwestern corner of the country facing the Ligurian Sea, the arm of the Mediterranean between Corsica and the mainland of Europe. The major Ligurian port is Genova (Genoa) and historically that city controlled this region. Imperia, Savona and La Spezia are additional ports in Liguria. The Repubic of Genoa was a maritime power from around 1100 until 1797, when it fell under the control of Napolean. Following the Napoleonic wars in 1815 it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until the unification of Italy in 1860. The scenic Ligurian coastline is famous today as the Italian Riviera. The Italian word for a lighthouse is faro, plural fari. This name is usually reserved for the larger coastal lights; smaller beacons are called fanali. In Italian isola is an island, isolotto is an islet, secca is a shoal, cabo is a cape, punta is a point of land, baia is a bay, stretto is a strait, fiume is a river, and porto is a harbor. Aids to navigation in Italy are operated and maintained by the Italian Navy's Servizio dei Fari e del Segnalamento Marittimo (Lighthouse and Maritime Signal Service). Lighthouse properties are naval reservations, generally fenced and closed to the public. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. EF numbers are from the Italian Navy's light list, Elenco Fari. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses: |
![]() Capo dell'Arma Light, San Remo, March 2025 photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission |
Adjoining pages: South: Tuscany | West: Alpes-Maritimes (French Riviera)
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Posted May 1, 2006. Checked and revised April 27, 2025. Lighthouses: 32. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.