Île Vierge
Encyclopedia
Île Vierge is an 6 hectares (14.8 acre) islet lying 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) off the north-west coast of Brittany
, opposite the village of Lilia. It is in the commune
of Plouguerneau
, in the département of Finistère
. It is the location of the tallest stone
lighthouse
in Europe, and the tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world. The International Hydrographic Organization
specifies Île Vierge as marking the south-western limit of the English Channel
.
established an abbey
on the island. The name "Île Vierge" probably comes from a chapel
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1507, the monks moved to Aber Wrac'h
on the mainland. In 1844, the French state purchased the island from sieur Goyon de Coëpel for 6,000 franc
s.
. It had a fixed white light visible for 14 nautical miles (25.9 km). It remained in use while the second lighthouse was under construction in 1896–1902. A foghorn
was installed in 1952, replaced in 1993 by an electric beacon
.
The newer lighthouse is 82.5 metres (270.7 ft) tall, made of blocks of granite
. The external face is a truncated cone; the interior face is cylindrical, lined with 12,500 opaline glass
tiles made by Saint-Gobain
. There are five steps to the front door; inside, 360 steps of stone and 32 of iron lead to the lamp platform. The electric lamp was installed in 1952 on the original mechanical turning plate, sitting in a bath of mercury
. The plate was replaced with an electric motor in 1983. The lamp has four lenses with a focal length
of 0.5m. The twin beam gives a white flash every 5 seconds, visible for 27 nautical miles (50 km). Electrical generator
s were installed in 1959, supplemented in 1967–1994 by two wind turbines. The light and rotation are switched activated automatically by a photoelectric sensor
. Although the lightouse is automated, the site is still manned.
The island is open to the public from April to September, as is the lighthouse, by appointment. The number of visitors was 5,944 in 2003; 5,974 in 2004; 7,371 in 2005.
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, opposite the village of Lilia. It is in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Plouguerneau
Plouguerneau
Plouguerneau is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-International relations:It is twinned with a number of villages in South East Cornwall, England, including:* St Germans* Tideford-Population:...
, in the département of Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
. It is the location of the tallest stone
Dimension stone
Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated to specific sizes or shapes. Color, texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are also normal requirements...
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....
in Europe, and the tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world. The International Hydrographic Organization
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...
specifies Île Vierge as marking the south-western limit of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
History
About 1450, the Conventual FranciscansConventual Franciscans
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual , commonly known as the Conventual Franciscans, is a branch of the order of Catholic Friars founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209.-History:...
established an abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
on the island. The name "Île Vierge" probably comes from a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1507, the monks moved to Aber Wrac'h
Aber Wrac'h
The Aber Wrac'h is a small village and port located on the Wrac'h river in the commune of Landéda in the department of Finistère in France, located in Brittany.The Wrac'h river source is Trémaouézan...
on the mainland. In 1844, the French state purchased the island from sieur Goyon de Coëpel for 6,000 franc
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
s.
Lighthouses
The first lighthouse was a square tower 33 metres (108.3 ft) high constructed in 1842–45 at the westernmost point of the island. It started operation on 15 August 1845, feast day of the Assumption of the VirginAssumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
. It had a fixed white light visible for 14 nautical miles (25.9 km). It remained in use while the second lighthouse was under construction in 1896–1902. A foghorn
Foghorn
A foghorn or fog signal or fog bell is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of hazards or boats of the presence of other vehicles in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport...
was installed in 1952, replaced in 1993 by an electric beacon
Electric beacon
Electric beacons are a kind of beacon used with direction finding equipment to find ones relative bearing to a known location .The term electric beacon includes radio, infrared and sonar beacons.- Radio beacons :...
.
The newer lighthouse is 82.5 metres (270.7 ft) tall, made of blocks of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The external face is a truncated cone; the interior face is cylindrical, lined with 12,500 opaline glass
Opaline glass
The term "opaline" in current times refers to many forms of opaque and colored glass. In France the term opaline is used to refer to multiple types of glass and not specifically antique colored crystal or semi-crystal. The idea that the term opaline is strictly antique French crystal is a misnomer...
tiles made by Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...
. There are five steps to the front door; inside, 360 steps of stone and 32 of iron lead to the lamp platform. The electric lamp was installed in 1952 on the original mechanical turning plate, sitting in a bath of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
. The plate was replaced with an electric motor in 1983. The lamp has four lenses with a focal length
Focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus...
of 0.5m. The twin beam gives a white flash every 5 seconds, visible for 27 nautical miles (50 km). Electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s were installed in 1959, supplemented in 1967–1994 by two wind turbines. The light and rotation are switched activated automatically by a photoelectric sensor
Photoelectric sensor
A photoelectric sensor, or photoeye, is a device used to detect the distance, absence, or presence of an object by using a light transmitter, often infrared, and a photoelectric receiver. They are used extensively in industrial manufacturing. There are three different functional types: opposed ,...
. Although the lightouse is automated, the site is still manned.
The island is open to the public from April to September, as is the lighthouse, by appointment. The number of visitors was 5,944 in 2003; 5,974 in 2004; 7,371 in 2005.