The Lighthouses On The Island Of Tino, Golfo della Spezia, Italy (1884)

September 2018 – Getting photos ready for my next post, I found a lighthouse photo of the light on the Island of Tino. I was lucky to get the shot, as I took between the trees.  A good one for my ‘Lighthouse Category’, because the site is a military reservation and is generally closed, but it’s open each year on September 13th, the festival of San Venerio………the chances of us ever visiting on the 13th of September are zero, we weren’t too far out this time, we went passed on the 21st of September.

Some history……We are looking at the Isola del Tino which is a wedge-shaped island off the western entrance to the Golfo della Spezia, the harbour of La Spezia. The light station is perched high atop the wedge facing the Ligurian Sea.  Tino is one of three Islands.  The San Venerio Lighthouse is an active lighthouse, it was first construction in 1839, and was completed in 1840, with a newer light of 1884.  It illuminates and guides the sailors in that part of the Ligurian Sea.  You can just make out the two lighthouses in the photo,  you can see the newer light of 1884, and behind it, the original light of 1840, which is attached to the lighthouse keepers cottages.

San Venerio, the patron saint of the Gulf of La Spezia, lived on the island in the 6th century A.D. as a hermit and later as abbot.  He used to light fires to warn ships of the presence of rocks and shallow waters on stormy nights. He is now the patron saint of lighthouse keepers.   It is believed that an abbey was constructed in the 7th century at the place of Venerio’s death to contain his remains and that this was extended to form a monastery in 11th century. The remains of the monastery can be seen on the northern coast of the island on the island.