Bari: the Lighthouse-Museum dedicated to Radio and Marconi opens to the public, the ceremony today

The Lighthouse and Radio Museum opens to the public today, Saturday 1 March, at 12:2014 p.m., set up inside the San Cataldo Lighthouse as part of the Interreg Co.He.N. (Coastal Heritage Network, Interreg Greece-Italy 2020-XNUMX) promoted and financed by the Puglia Region, which has allowed the recovery and cultural networking of three lighthouses and three coastal towers (the San Giovanni lighthouse in Ugento and the San Felice tower in Vieste, already open and accessible; the Pietra tower in Margherita di Savoia, the Calderina tower in Molfetta; the Punta Palascia lighthouse in Otranto).

The ceremony will be attended by the mayor of Bari Vito Leccese, the president of the Puglia Region Michele Emiliano, the municipal councilors for Culture, Paola Romano, and for Territory Care, Domenico Scaramuzzi, the director of the regional Department of Tourism, Economy of Culture and Enhancement of the territory Aldo Patruno, the director of Asset Elio Sannicandro, the director of the municipal division PEGS Luciana Cazzolla. For the Navy, the commander of the vessel Marina Sud Cosimo Viscardi, the Commander of the Frigate MariFari Miriam Fucci and Admiral Vincenzo Leone, Maritime Director (Regional Commander of the Coast Guard) Puglia and Basilicata; for the State Property Agency Domenico Giordano; for the Fondazione Museo Pascali – which will curate cycles of contemporary works of art on the theme – the director Giuseppe Teofilo.

The San Cataldo lighthouse, still in operation, is the third tallest in Italy, fundamental for the opening of trade with the East and the scene of Guglielmo Marconi's first experiment in radio transmission, between Bari and the coast of Montenegro (3 August 1904). Hence the choice to set up an exhibition contextualized in the site: the visitor is welcomed by a video-story of the lighthouses and towers of Puglia; a room is dedicated to the history of radio, a room contains historical finds on radio connections via the air and another is dedicated to the first radio transmission, with a focus on the figure of Guglielmo Marconi. The radios on display come from the collections of Alberto Chiantera and the Italian Radio Amateurs Association - Bari section.

The Museum of the lighthouse and radio is managed, in agreement with the Municipality of Bari, by the association Vedetta sul Mediterraneo, chaired by Nicolò Carnimeo, professor at the University of Bari "Aldo Moro" and writer, in collaboration with the association Mar di Levante and the Italian Radio Amateurs Association - ARI section of Bari; honorary director is the journalist and writer Enrica Simonetti.

During the event, other stations of lighthouses and coastal towers in Puglia were connected via radio, in particular the lighthouses of Molfetta, Torre Canne, Taranto and Lecce and the Bourbon lighthouse in the port of Bari. Also under the care of the Italian Radio Amateurs Association, Bari section, we will connect with the Marconi station of the Marconi Foundation.

The museum will be open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings and it will be possible to book your visit by sending an email to associazionemardilevante@gmail.com (groups no larger than 21 people, entrance fee 3 euros; specific openings to be agreed upon for schools and associations).