Genoa has been honoured by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) with the prestigious title of "The Lighthouse of the Year 2024" Award during the annual conference held at the historic Port Authority headquarters of Palazzo San Giorgio.
2 July 2024 - A true symbol of the City of Genoa, the 77-metre Lanterna is the tallest lighthouse in the Mediterranean and ranks fifth worldwide. Since its construction in 1128, it has never ceased to guide sailors across the Port of Genoa with its beam of light visible up to 50 kilometres. Until the advent of tracking technology in modern times, the Lanterna has always provided a fundamental aid to navigation, consolidating the strategic role of Genoa as a landmark for international trade across the Mediterranean maritime routes.
The historic importance of the Lanterna has been acknowledged by IALA, a non-profit international technical association established in 1957 to promote greater awareness of the role of marine aids in enhancing the safety of navigation worldwide. The organisation groups together public authorities, manufacturers, consultants and scientific and training institutes, providing them with the opportunity to exchange experiences and develop best practices to reduce marine accidents, increase safety at sea and protect the marine environment.
"The Lighthouse of the Year 2024" awarded to Genoa celebrates the illustrious history of the Lanterna. In an era in which modern technology dominates the maritime industry, this title highlights the importance of the prestigious role played by the Lanterna in the past, narrated across the adjacent open-air museum.
