Sasso Marconi - Villa Griffone

The Villa Griffone and Guglielmo Marconi.

After some experiments undertaken here, 21 year old Marconi connected a grounded antenna to its transmitter under the attic of the Villa Griffone. In summer 1895 he was able to transmit radiotelegraphic signals at a distance of about two kilometers. The reception was communicated to Marconi with a gunshot.

This event cannot be overestimated, as this is the beginning of the era of wireless communication. A milestone of modern technology. Marshall McLuhan claimed that this moment marked the end of the "Gutenberg Galaxy" and the beginning of the "Marconi-Galaxy". The technic, we all use in our everyday life, is a result of what happened here in 1895.

Today the villa houses the Guglielmo Marconi Foundation and an "Amateur Radio Station", call sign is IY4FGM.