Sestri Levante, Italy

IY1TTM

Operation from the Marconi Tower

On the Italian Riviera at about 40 Km south east from the city of Genoa, is located the small town of Sestri Levante, one of the most famous tourist resorts in the area. From this small town, in the early 1930’s, Marconi conducted his first important transmission experiments, studying propagation and direction finding systems on VHF and UHF.

Click at the bottom of this page  to see an early Chart giving the relative positions of the ELETTRA, the Miramare Hotel and the town of Sestri Levante at the time of the experiments.

 

The motor yacht "ELETTRA" (see picture below) was used for one of Marconi's most famous  experiments. Equipped with a VHF radio guidance system designed by Marconi himself , the floating laboratory was guided from the open sea into the very small port of Sestri Levante . The front windows of the wheelhouse were completely obscured, and the steering of the yacht into the narrow port relied totally upon the reception of signals radiated with a narrow beam from a VHF transmitter placed ashore on top of an old  Genoese lookout tower which was built in the 12^th century.   This tower, which was later restored and named the "Marconi Tower" in honor of the great Scientist, is presently the home of the local Club of the Italian Radio Society (A.R.I.).  

A complete HF and VHF station is permanently installed in the tower which is activated only for very special events using the exclusive call IY1TTM. The suffix letters mean : Tigullio (the name of the gulf facing the location), Tower, Marconi.

Many historical documents and pictures are kept in the Club showing the activity of Marconi from the Tower. It is impressive to enter the lonely Tower that stands at the top of a small hill, surrounded by thick Mediterranean flora. Access is possible only from a footpath through the Sestri Levante peninsula (private park) after a 10 minutes walk. On entering the tower a feeling of respect is felt: few can forget that the great Scientist whom the world ham community regard as the first radio amateur, once operated from this place .

There is a wonderful panorama from the top level of the Tower, and on clear days you can see Westward to the Alps and Southward to the Island of Corsica. Ahead and about 10 Km away, is the other side of the Tigullio Gulf, also named Marconi Gulf , with the beautiful promontory of Portofino.

Marconi carried out experiments between the town of Santa Margherita on the Portofino promontory and the Tower. From the terrace at the entrance of the Miramare Hotel at Santa Margherita, he made the first two way contact with the Tower on 60 cm wavelength, and also towards the open sea with the "ELETTRA". A marble tablet (see picture below) commemorating these events is placed on the terrace of the Hotel.