Latitude 38° - 37’ north. 

In ancient times the “Cape” was a sacred place well-known throughout Magna Grecia since it was  here that priests and soothsayers looked into the future.  During the course of the centuries the ancient civilisations have left traces of their artistic, cultural and scientific manifestations.

Numerous archaeological remains have come to light during various excavations which tell of prehistory: Phoenicians, Carthaginians,  Greeks and, of course Romans, Byzantines and  Normans. The Saracens scoured the coast, plundering and burning whatever they did not take away with them. Then came the Angevins and the Aragonese and finally the French.  Many archaeological remains can be found in the museums of Vibo Valentia, Nicotera and Reggio Calabria.

The Phoenicians, the Carthaginians and the Greeks traded their goods with the local population on the beaches of Santa Maria, Torre Ruffa amd Groticelle.The lighthouse of Capo Vaticano is also a radio-lighthouse and is an important station for navigation from the north towards the straits of Messina;  it was made functional for the first time in 1885 and modernised  in 1946.

 An aluminium-coloured  polygonal lantern rests on top of the white, cylindrical turret behind which there is a one-storey building.

It is 8 metres tall from the base and can be seen from a distance of 26 miles with a light range of 32.6 miles.