Savudrija Lighthouse is located close to the northernmost point of the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula, near the Slovenian border. It is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the Adriatic. As Italian is still not entirely uncommon in Istria, it is sometimes referred to as the lighthouse at Punta Salvore.

Savudrija lighthouse

The lighthouse was designed by Pietro Nobile, a prominent Austro-Hungarian Neoclassicist architect. The construction of the lighthouse began in April 1817 and was completed in 1818. Its main purpose was to assist with navigation to the port of Trieste, which lies just 25 kilometers to the North-East of Savudrija. At the time, Istria was a part of the newly established Austrian Empire as a separate territorial unit, and Trieste was its capital.

Inscription above the entrance to the Savudrija lighthouse

The plaque above the entrance to the lighthouse reads CURSIBUS NAVIGANTIUM NOCTURNIS DIRIGENDIS FRANCISCUS I. E.I. MDCCCXVIII. The acronym E.I. most probably stands for Erigere Iussit. Therefore, in English this would read as follows: TO GUIDE THE NIGHTLY VOYAGES OF SEAFARERS FRANCIS I ORDERED TO BE ERECTED 1818. Francis I was the first Emperor of Austria, from 1804 to 1835.
Savudrija lighthouse was the first important lighthouse to be lit using coal gas. The gas-producing plant at the lighthouse was designed by Giovanni Aldini. The project was publicized as a success, but in 1824 it was discontinued because of the expenses and unreliability and was replaced with an oil fuel system.
Nowadays, the lighthouse is being operated by a state-owned company Plovput. Lighthouse, although automated and equipped with remote control system, has a keeper – Mario Milin Ungar, who is the fifth generation of lighthouse keepers in his family.

Fresnel lenses at the Savudrija lighthouse

Looking at the top of the lighthouse through binoculars or a telephoto lens, one would see, that there are two Fresnel lenses installed. The lower one is constantly spinning, even during the day. That lens produces six rays of light, which are visible up to 56 kilometers from the lighthouse. The light during the nighttime is being emitted constantly, and the rotating lens creates an illusion of flashes to an observer on the sea. With the six rays being split into two groups of three rays each, the lighthouse would appear to produce three flashes every fifteen seconds.

Savudrija lighthouse at night

However, being close to the lighthouse on a dark starry night is a fascinating experience, as the constantly spinning rays of light produce a spectacular lightshow. Photographing it is not easy, as the rays of light are somewhat ghostly, and although they are clearly visible to an eye, they are very difficult to capture with a camera, especially as they are constantly moving. Making the two night photos provided in this article involved a somewhat bizarre process – the camera was taking the picture for approx. two minutes, during which it was necessary to cover the camera lens with a dark cloth, and lift the cloth every time the ray was passing a certain spot. Because of this, the lighthouse appears to produce more than 6 rays of light on the photo.

Savudrija lighthouse at night