The Punta Secca Lighthouse

The Punta Secca lighthouse is one of the major public works of the Bourbon government in the province of Ragusa.

Designed in 1857 by Ing. Nicolò Diliberto D’Anna at the request of the Bourbon government, was built in 1858-59 and is 35 m tall.

Engineer Diliberto predicted a 36-meter-high circular tower.

The wall that was raised with regular tapered blocks was often 1.75 meters at the base and 78 cm at the top.

A self-supporting spiral staircase on a central pylon and interlocking in the tower walls consists of 128 steps of Ragusa pitch stone plus four iron steps.

It allowed to reach the lantern fire placed at 33.80 meters from the base.

One hundred and seven leaded glass plates closed the lantern compartment, whose light had to reach 16 nautical miles.

At the base of the lighthouse tower, the engineer also anticipated a large parterre surrounded by a U-shaped building.

The cost of the project envisaged in the project amounted to 12,100 Ducati and the construction times were fixed in 9 months from the beginning of the works; times that were then substantially respected.

In the television series of Montalbano, the town of Marinella corresponds to Punta Secca, which has renamed “Piazza Montalbano” the square in front of the house of the Commissioner.