Complesso Monumentale della Lanterna
The symbol lighthouse of Genoa, with a museum in the fortifications, a park and a promenade along the port; visitors can climb to the first panoramic terrace.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Lanterna is the symbol lighthouse of Genoa and is considered the tallest in the Mediterranean and the second tallest in Europe. Over the centuries it has served as a signal tower and armed watchtower, a stage for tightrope walkers, and even a prison. The present form dates from 1543, when it was rebuilt after the old lighthouse was destroyed in 1514. The rock on which it stands is 40 metres high and the tower 77 metres, so that the top is 117 metres above sea level; the rotating optic projects its light up to 57 kilometres away.
In 1626 the first stone of the 17th-century city walls was laid near the Lanterna; the walls, about 20 kilometres long and completed in 1639, are among the longest in Europe. The monumental complex includes a pedestrian promenade along the port with information panels, a park that works as an open-air museum beside the fortifications and the Porta Nuova, the museum set up inside the 19th-century fortifications, and the lighthouse, which is owned by the Italian Navy.
The Museo della Lanterna, currently being updated, tells the history of the lighthouse in its first rooms, while the last ones, known as the “dei Cannoni” (of the cannons), house lighthouses and lanterns. The complex is part of the Mu.MA – Istituzione Musei del Mare e delle Migrazioni, together with the Galata Museo del Mare, the Museo Navale di Pegli and the MEI – Museo dell'Emigrazione Italiana. Visitors can climb the 172 steps of the lighthouse to the first terrace, the only one open to the public, with a 360-degree view over the city and the port.
Highlights
- Climb of 172 steps to the panoramic terrace of the lighthouse
- Museo della Lanterna with the rooms of lighthouses and lanterns
- Promenade along the port and open-air museum in the park
- 17th-century fortifications and the Porta Nuova della Lanterna
- Peregrine falcons on the lighthouse tower
- Founded
- 1543
- Operated by
- Comune di Genova – Mu.MA Istituzione Musei del Mare e delle Migrazioni
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission up to age 17, lighthouse included. |
| Park + museum + lighthouse (up to the first terrace), full price | €9 |
| Park + museum + lighthouse (up to the first terrace), reduced | €8 |
| Reduced rate for young people aged 18 to 26 (lighthouse included) | €2 |
| Supplement for access to the lighthouse | €3Not available online; only at the ticket office on site. |
The full ticket, €6 (reduced €5), covers the park and the museum; with the lighthouse the full ticket costs €9 (reduced €8). Free admission for holders of the membership card of the Associazione Amici della Lanterna and Promotori Musei del Mare; those accompanying them pay the reduced rate. Buying online incurs an advance sales fee of €1. Genova Museum Card: 24 hours €24, 48 hours €45.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The complex is only partly accessible to people with mobility disabilities: the promenade, the park and the museum in the fortifications can be walked, while the lighthouse tower is not accessible. The museum videos have audio and subtitles for people with hearing difficulties. Toilets in the park can be used by wheelchair users only with a companion. A virtual tour is available, which also shows the part of the tower closed to the public. For special needs you can contact the ticket office.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Lanterna/Buozzi 2 Dinegro · 800 m
Metro: Dinegro stop, about 10 minutes on foot along Via Milano. Bus: line 1 from Caricamento – Acquario; lines 18 and 20 from Piazza De Ferrari; lines 20 and 32 from Genova Piazza Principe station to the Lanterna/Buozzi 2 Dinegro stop, from where the Lanterna is reached on foot along the panoramic promenade (800 m). Train: Genova Sampierdarena station, about 6 minutes on foot.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The complex has no car park; paid parking is available at the Terminal Traghetti (with spaces reserved for disabled parking permit holders) or in the public car park of Esselunga, both near the start of the promenade. Information for tourist coaches is on the Visit Genoa website.
- Accessible parking
The promenade leading to the lighthouse starts from the Terminal Traghetti car park, near Piazzale San Benigno.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Animals are not allowed, except guide dogs for people with disabilities.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The route includes the promenade along the port, the open-air museum in the park, the Museo della Lanterna and the climb to the lighthouse up to the first terrace (172 steps). A virtual tour is available on the museum's website. |
