Phare de Gatteville
Encyclopedia
Phare de Gatteville, also known as Pointe de Barfleur Light, is an active lighthouse
near Gatteville-le-Phare
at the tip of Barfleur
, Manche
department, Basse-Normandie
region, France
. At a height of 247 feet (75.3 m) it is the third tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
, necessitated building a lighthouse at the location. In 1774 a cylindrical 25 metres (82 ft) granite lighthouse with a stone rectangular main building were built. The lighthouse was topped with a coal fire. It was first lit on November 1, 1775, and was originally called Phare de Barfleur (Barfleur Lighthouse).
In September 1780 the lantern was replaced with 16 oil lamps with a fire glazed glass lantern and Tourtille-Sangrain reflectors.
In 1825 an upgrade of the lens was planned, requiring raising the tower an additional 32 metres (105 ft), but the building proved not to be wide enough. Thus, the architect Charles-Félix Morice de la Rue drew plans for the tallest lighthouse in the world for that time. It was built 60 metres (196.9 ft) from the old lighthouse. Building took place from 1829 to 1835 and the light was first lit on April 1, 1835. The smaller tower's lantern was removed, and it was turned into a semaphore. It remains on site.
Vegetable oil was used until 1873, when it was replaced by mineral oil. On May 20, 1891 the name of the lighthouse was changed to Phare de Gatteville (Gatteville Lighthouse). On January 17, 1893 the lantern was replaced with an electric lantern.
Sautter-Harle mercury bearings were installed in 1903.
In 1944 the lighthouse was liberated without major damage and quickly returned to operation. In 1948 it was connected to the electrical network.
The lighthouse remained open to the public until 1996, when it was closed for renovation. It reopened July 5, 1997, as a lighthouse museum.
It is attached to a 2-story keeper's complex which forms a U-shape around the base of the tower. Visitors can climb 365 stairs to reach the gallery.
The current light is a 1600 watt xenon lamp
. One lamp is lit on clear days and two on bad weather.
by Jean-Jacques Beineix
was partially shot at the lighthouse.
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....
near Gatteville-le-Phare
Gatteville-le-Phare
Gatteville-le-Phare is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Manche department*Antipodes Islands, the exact antipodes of Gatteville-le-Phare...
at the tip of Barfleur
Barfleur
Barfleur is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.-Middle Ages:In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England....
, Manche
Manche
Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche , which is the French name for the English Channel.- History :Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department, Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region, 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 247 feet (75.3 m) it is the third tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
History
Strong currents and many shipwrecks at the tip of Barfleur, the most famous of which being the White ShipWhite Ship
The White Ship was a vessel that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on 25 November 1120. Only one of those aboard survived. Those who drowned included William Adelin, the only surviving legitimate son and heir of King Henry I of England...
, necessitated building a lighthouse at the location. In 1774 a cylindrical 25 metres (82 ft) granite lighthouse with a stone rectangular main building were built. The lighthouse was topped with a coal fire. It was first lit on November 1, 1775, and was originally called Phare de Barfleur (Barfleur Lighthouse).
In September 1780 the lantern was replaced with 16 oil lamps with a fire glazed glass lantern and Tourtille-Sangrain reflectors.
In 1825 an upgrade of the lens was planned, requiring raising the tower an additional 32 metres (105 ft), but the building proved not to be wide enough. Thus, the architect Charles-Félix Morice de la Rue drew plans for the tallest lighthouse in the world for that time. It was built 60 metres (196.9 ft) from the old lighthouse. Building took place from 1829 to 1835 and the light was first lit on April 1, 1835. The smaller tower's lantern was removed, and it was turned into a semaphore. It remains on site.
Vegetable oil was used until 1873, when it was replaced by mineral oil. On May 20, 1891 the name of the lighthouse was changed to Phare de Gatteville (Gatteville Lighthouse). On January 17, 1893 the lantern was replaced with an electric lantern.
Sautter-Harle mercury bearings were installed in 1903.
In 1944 the lighthouse was liberated without major damage and quickly returned to operation. In 1948 it was connected to the electrical network.
The lighthouse remained open to the public until 1996, when it was closed for renovation. It reopened July 5, 1997, as a lighthouse museum.
Structure and light
The tower is cylindrical with a gallery and a lantern. It is 25 metres (82 ft) in diameter at the base and 6 metres (19.7 ft) at the bridge.It is attached to a 2-story keeper's complex which forms a U-shape around the base of the tower. Visitors can climb 365 stairs to reach the gallery.
The current light is a 1600 watt xenon lamp
Xenon arc lamp
A xenon arc lamp is a specialized type of gas discharge lamp, an electric light that produces light by passing electricity through ionized xenon gas at high pressure to produce a bright white light that closely mimics natural sunlight...
. One lamp is lit on clear days and two on bad weather.
Appearance in media
The 1980 film DivaDiva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
by Jean-Jacques Beineix
Jean-Jacques Beineix
-Biography:In 1964, Jean-Jacques Beineix started his career as Jean Becker's assistant director on the famous French TV series, Les saintes chéries until the end of 1967. Then, in 1970 he worked for Claude Berri and in 1971 for Claude Zidi. In 1977, he directed his first short movie Le Chien de M....
was partially shot at the lighthouse.
See also
- List of lighthouses in France
- List of tallest lighthouses in the world