Capo Miseno: the story of the legendary lighthouse

Coming up to the sea, on the bay which borders between the Gulf of Pozzuoli and the Procida's Channel, to the extreme point of the Phlaegrean peninsula, stands out the Capo Miseno's lighthouse, a guide for the nocturnal navigation. Situated upon the Capo Miseno's big "white eye", the lighthouse is a strategic position as well as an important benchmark for what it concerns the obligatory route which allows to reach all the islands, despite the fact that currently are used only partially.

It was builded at the beginning of the 19th century, after a very animated period: at the beginning of 1500, in fact, by willing of the Viceroy of Naples, about 366 towers had been builded up to let people defend themselves from the several attacks by the Saracens: of all the 366 towers, only one stayed untouched and had been positioned upon the top of the Miseno's promontory. Later, with the 1910's Royal Decree, the king Vittorio Emanuele II ordered the passage of the Lighthouses Service to the Royal Navy that, in 1915, after carrying out several renewal works in order to guarantee a safer navigation, established for the first time the Lighthouses' Inspectorate which chose the city of Naples as main headquarters.

Unfortunately, in 1943, following the II World War, the lighthouse was entirely destroyed by the bombings and then rebuilt 5 years later, in 1948, thanks to the rebuilding works; it is sufficient to think, as a matter of fact, that the lighthouse keepers' work is slowly fading away, being replaced by new technologic machineries able to run everything, and making the beauty of these magical, mysterious and impenetrable placestotally ethereal. 

How to reach Capo Miseno and its lighthouse by public transport or by car

For a better view of the Capo Miseno's lighthouse and to enjoy its overview, there are organized real excursions which end on the top of the promontory. To get inside the top, indeed, you need to walk through a modern gallery which ends upon a terrace on the lighthouse. From here it is possible to reach the lighthouse on foot through two panoramical paths.

Cumana - from Napoli-Montesanto station you take the line Napoli-Torregaveta and exit at Baia stop, here you can find many buses that lead to the lighthouse.

By car - from Naples you need to take the tangenziale directed to Pozzuoli, exit n.14 Pozzuoli-Arco Felice- Bacoli.