The "Lighthouse" of Gaggio Montano

It is undoubtedly the symbol of Gaggio Montano. Erected in 1952 by engineer Giuseppe Rinaldi, director of the Genio Civile of Bologna, the Lighthouse is an architectural work that stands on an ophiolite boulder, where there was previously a small masonry building, and is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the mountain of the two world wars.

This "unusual" construction reflects a rationalist and strongly modernist matrix, which is distinguished basically by three aspects: its shape, location, and bold construction techniques. It is made of reinforced concrete, an inexpensive material but capable of guaranteeing great solidity to the structure of together with the technique of prestressing, which Rinaldi wisely used only where it was strictly necessary or otherwise convenient. The two 80 sq. m. cantilevered beams, arranged in a fork and grafted into the pillar, support a large terrace, which is reached after tackling no less than 155 steps. But it is worth the effort, the splendid panorama of the la Silla Valley and a good portion of the Upper Rhine Valley territory awaits us.