Faro della Vittoria (Victory Lighthouse) – Trieste, Italy - Atlas Obscura

Faro della Vittoria (Victory Lighthouse)

One of the tallest lighthouses in the world also serves as a monument to the fallen of World War I. 

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Faro della Vittoria (Victory Lighthouse) is a lighthouse on Gretta hill near Trieste, in Italy. With a height of 223 feet (68 meters), it’s one of the tallest lighthouses in the world.

It was constructed between 1923 and 1927 to commemorate those who died at sea during World War I. The location was chosen because of the importance of Trieste, acquired by Italy after the war. The lighthouse was designed specifically to be taller than the Berlin Victory Column, which stood at a height of 204 feet (62.3 meters). It also sits atop a former Austrian fort

The basement of the monument is made of local Istrian stone. The lantern is housed inside a bronze crystal cage atop  the column. A statue of winged victory is located at the top of the lighthouse, while the front features a sculpture of a seaman and the anchor of an Italian World War I ship. In 1986, the lighthouse reopened to the public following a few years of restoration. Now the lower part of the structure can also be visited by tourists.

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