Cordouan lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Cordouan lighthouse is an active lighthouse
located 7 km at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary
in France
. At a height of 223 feet (68 m) it is the tenth tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
The Tour de Cordouan, the 'Patriarch of Lighthouses', is by far the oldest lighthouse in France. It was designed by leading Paris architect Louis de Foix, and is something of a Renaissance masterpiece, an amalgam of royal palace, cathedral and fort. Started in 1584 and finished in 1611, it still stands today.
De Foix first built a round base 135 feet (41.1 m) in diameter and 8 feet (2.4 m) high to take the onslaught of the waves. Within it was a cavity 20 feet (6.1 m) square for storing water and other supplies. Above it were constructed four storeys of diminishing size. The ground floor consisted of a circular tower 50 feet (15.2 m) in diameter, with apartments for four keepers around its inner wall. In the centre was richly decorated entrance hall 22 feet (6.7 m) square and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. The second storey was the King's Apartment, consisting of a drawing room, anteroom
and a number of closets. The third storey was a chapel with a domed roof notable for the beauty of its mosaic. Above this was secondary lantern, and above that the Lantern itself. This was 162 feet (49.4 m) above the sea and visible 5–6 miles away, the original light being provided by burning oak chips in a metal container.
Throughout the building, de Foix took as much trouble with the decor as with the durability of the building, and on every floor was a profusion of gilt, carved work, elegantly arched doorways and statuary.
Small beacon towers had existed on the islet since 880, but the first proper structure was implemented by Edward, the Black Prince, since Guienne was then an English province. It was 48 feet (14.6 m) high, with a platform on top where a wood fire could be kept burning, and manned by a religious hermit. Passing ships paid two groats to pass - the first known instance of lighthouse dues. In addition to the tower, a small chapel was built on the islet. However, by the second half of the 16th century the tower had fallen into disrepair and the hazard to navigation threatened the Bordeaux wine trade. This led to the construction of the current Tour de Cordouan.
It was made a historical monument in 1862, at the same time as Notre-Dame de Paris. The first Fresnel lens
used in a lighthouse was installed here in 1823, to be replaced by the present lens in 1854.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located 7 km at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary
Gironde estuary
The Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. At a height of 223 feet (68 m) it is the tenth tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
The Tour de Cordouan, the 'Patriarch of Lighthouses', is by far the oldest lighthouse in France. It was designed by leading Paris architect Louis de Foix, and is something of a Renaissance masterpiece, an amalgam of royal palace, cathedral and fort. Started in 1584 and finished in 1611, it still stands today.
De Foix first built a round base 135 feet (41.1 m) in diameter and 8 feet (2.4 m) high to take the onslaught of the waves. Within it was a cavity 20 feet (6.1 m) square for storing water and other supplies. Above it were constructed four storeys of diminishing size. The ground floor consisted of a circular tower 50 feet (15.2 m) in diameter, with apartments for four keepers around its inner wall. In the centre was richly decorated entrance hall 22 feet (6.7 m) square and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. The second storey was the King's Apartment, consisting of a drawing room, anteroom
Antechamber
An antechamber is a smaller room or vestibule serving as an entryway into a larger one. The word is formed of the Latin ante camera, meaning "room before"....
and a number of closets. The third storey was a chapel with a domed roof notable for the beauty of its mosaic. Above this was secondary lantern, and above that the Lantern itself. This was 162 feet (49.4 m) above the sea and visible 5–6 miles away, the original light being provided by burning oak chips in a metal container.
Throughout the building, de Foix took as much trouble with the decor as with the durability of the building, and on every floor was a profusion of gilt, carved work, elegantly arched doorways and statuary.
Small beacon towers had existed on the islet since 880, but the first proper structure was implemented by Edward, the Black Prince, since Guienne was then an English province. It was 48 feet (14.6 m) high, with a platform on top where a wood fire could be kept burning, and manned by a religious hermit. Passing ships paid two groats to pass - the first known instance of lighthouse dues. In addition to the tower, a small chapel was built on the islet. However, by the second half of the 16th century the tower had fallen into disrepair and the hazard to navigation threatened the Bordeaux wine trade. This led to the construction of the current Tour de Cordouan.
It was made a historical monument in 1862, at the same time as Notre-Dame de Paris. The first Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
used in a lighthouse was installed here in 1823, to be replaced by the present lens in 1854.