Cordouan Lighthouse

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Cordouan Lighthouse

Cordouan Lighthouse, November 2006
Location	Gironde, France
Coordinates	45°35′10.84″N 1°10′24.48″W / 45.5863444°N 1.1734667°W / 45.5863444; -1.1734667
Tower
Constructed	1611
Foundation	3-storey cylindrical basement
Construction	stone tower
Automated	2006
Height	67.5 metres (221 ft)
Shape	conical tower with three galleries and lantern
Markings	unpainted light gray tower, darker gray gallery and lantern
Heritage	Monument historique World Heritage Site
Light
First lit	1788
Focal height	197 feet (60 m)
Lens	First order Fresnel lens
Range	white 22 nautical miles (41 km; 25 mi) red/green 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)
Characteristic	Occ. W R G (depending on direction) 12s
Monument historique
Designated	1862
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	(i)(iv)
Designated	2021 (44th session)
Reference no.	1625

Cordouan lighthouse (French pronunciation: [kɔʁdwɑ̃]) is an active lighthouse located 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary in France.^[1] At a height of 67.5 metres (221 ft),^[2] it is the tenth-tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.^[3]

The Tour de Cordouan, the 'Patriarch of Lighthouses' is by far the oldest lighthouse in France, with construction starting in 1584 and finishing in 1611. Designed by leading Paris architect Louis de Foix [fr], the lighthouse is something of a Renaissance masterpiece, drawing inspiration from Roman mausoleums, and the palaces, cathedrals, and forts of the Renaissance.^[4] Three stories were added in the 18th century.

Because of its outstanding Renaissance architecture and its testimony to the development of lighthouses, the Cordouan Lighthouse was listed as a historic monument in 1862,^[5] and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2021.^[6]