Punta Palascia Lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse in Capo d'Otranto, Italy.
Punta Palascia Lighthouse is a white stone cylindrical tower 32 metres tall, with a balcony and lantern, rising from a two-storey white building at Capo d'Otranto, the easternmost point of Italy and the narrowest part of the Strait of Otranto. Its lantern stands 60 metres above sea level and gives one white flash every five seconds, visible up to 18 nautical miles.
Built in 1867 at Capo d'Otranto, Italy's easternmost point, the lighthouse was abandoned in the 1970s. It reopened in 2008, when it began housing the Centre on Environment and Health of the Mediterranean Ecosystems and a multimedia Museum of the Sea.
The structure now contains the Centre on Environment and Health of Mediterranean Ecosystems and a Multimedia Museum of the Sea, welcoming visitors since 2008. These spaces reflect how the lighthouse has shifted from purely functional use to become a place for learning about the region's ecological importance.
The automated lighthouse is accessible from the landside and offers visitors views from the lantern balcony and access to interior exhibitions. Plan enough time to explore both the structure and the surrounding cape area properly.
Punta Palascia is the easternmost point of Italy, so the first sunrise of the New Year is seen here before anywhere else in the country. The lighthouse opens for guided tours especially at New Year for this reason. It is one of five Mediterranean lighthouses protected by the European Commission.
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