Savudrija Lighthouse
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 Savudrija Lighthouse
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| Location | Savudrija, Croatia |
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| Coordinates | 45°29′24″N 13°29′27″E / 45.489966°N 13.49095°ECoordinates: 45°29′24″N 13°29′27″E / 45.489966°N 13.49095°E |
| Year first constructed | 1818 |
| Tower shape | Cylindrical stone tower with lantern and double gallery |
| Height | 29 metres (95 ft) |
| Focal height | 36 metres (118 ft) |
| Range | 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) |
| Characteristic | W Fl(3) 15s |
| Fog signal | 42s (4+4;4+30) |
| Admiralty number | E2642 |
| NGA number | 11868 |
| ARLHS number | CRO-134 |
Savudrija Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Croatia, located near to the village of the same name, at the northern end of the Istrian peninsula, close to the Slovenian border which is at the southern end of the Gulf of Trieste. Also known as Cape Savudrija lighthouse, the cape or point being called Punta Salvore in Italian, prior to the Second world war the light was commonly known as the Punta Salvore Lighthouse.
Completed in 1818, it is the oldest operational light of the Adriatic. Whilst the Italian lighthouse at Barletta known as the Faro Napoleon is considered to have been built at an earlier date in 1807, it was subsequently deactivated and replaced by a breakwater lighthouse in 1959.
It was initially lit with coal gas, the first lighthouse to be designed and operated in this way. Although widely publicised as a success, ongoing problems meant that it was rapidly replaced with an oil fuelled system.
Designed by the architect Pietro Nobile, construction began in March 1817 and was funded by a share issue through the Trieste Chamber of Commerce, who had actively promoted the need for a lighthouse to assist with navigation to the Port of Trieste. It was also sponsored by Francis I of Austria, who was present when the lighthouse was first lit in April 1818.
Local stone was used to build the 19 metre tower, which supported a double gallery and a grey lantern. The buildings including a two storey principal keeper’s house, and other single storey buildings were a later addition being completed in 1821. The height of the tower was subsequently increased by 10m to its current height of 29m in the late 19th century.
In 2007, the lighthouse at Savudrija was depicted in a set of commemorative stamps by the Croatian postal service Hrvatska pošta.
The lighthouse is operated by the state owned company Plovput. Although automated the light is still manned, lighthouse keepers helping to secure and maintain the site. Since 2000, rooms within the lighthouse have also been made available for rent as holiday accommodation.
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Wikipedia