From the ground to the lantern of the San Cataldo Lighthouse, there are approximately 66 meters and 380 steps. From there, one of the most beautiful panoramas of Bàri tells a story that officially began with a contract on January 22, 1867.

89,468 lire and 2 years of work: these were the costs and timelines of an endeavor that, at the time, according to a report by the Prefect, had the urgency to employ 1,700 construction workers, lest there be potential social unrest. Around it, an unrecognizable city was taking shape, with the Murat district, like the port, consolidating itself.

In 1869, the lighthouse, standing at a height of 66.40 meters, was ready. San Cataldo was such a sparsely populated area that the lighthouse keepers even had their own oven (a small room for baking, with stone walls). Therefore, we must imagine the lighthouse immersed in absolute solitude, without the surrounding buildings and the lights of the docks. At the same time, we must imagine the keepers, known as the "lighters," as tough and respectable people, capable even of avoiding the harassment of sailors accustomed to drinking, often intent on entering the lighthouse at any cost. This is why, at the time, there was even consideration of providing them with a badge. However, this do not mean that there was no strong sense of community and shared destinies: every May 1st, lighthouse keepers and sailors gathered in the lighthouse garden to attend a mass dedicated to their families and their sacrifices at sea.

When it was put into operation, the San Cataldo Lighthouse worked on vegetable oil and was visible for miles and miles: more precisely, between 27 and 35 miles, depending on the clarity of the sky. A fundamental piece of the new trading system between Europe, Italy, and the Eastern Mediterranean, it has been a precious witness to the entire 20th century. Bari, the Fiera del Levante, the opening of markets closed for centuries to the West, are unthinkable without this valuable witness. Even Guglielmo Marconi - as we will see in a specific section - lived a memorable day of his life near the Sàn Catàldo Lighthouse.