Phares de l'île Vierge
MonumentHidden Treasure
Phares de l'île Vierge, located in Plouguerneau (Département 29), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Plouguerneau, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6387, -4.5676
- Mérimée Reference
- PA29000071
Sentinels of granite and opaline off the coast of Finistère, the lighthouses of Ile Vierge form a unique duo: one 19th century, the other an absolute record - 82.5 m of ashlar, the highest in Europe.
History
Off the coast of Plouguerneau, in the chaos of reefs and currents that dot the Aber Wrac'h, Île Vierge stands with its two granite sentinels facing the Atlantic. This exceptional site brings together two lighthouses from different generations, witnesses to France's maritime and technical history, which have been listed together as Historic Monuments since 2011. The old lighthouse from 1845, squat and square, and its slender successor from 1902, colossal and refined, form a striking architectural dialogue on this windswept stretch of land. What radically sets Ile Vierge apart from any other lighthouse site in France is the prowess of its great lighthouse: at 82.5 metres high, it is the highest lighthouse in Europe and the tallest building in the world built entirely of ashlar. This technical feat, achieved at the turn of the twentieth century without the use of reinforced concrete, still fascinates engineers today. The interior holds a further surprise: the walls are entirely clad in milky white opaline sheets, which diffuse a soft, unreal light down the 397-step spiral staircase. The visiting experience is physically engaging and emotionally unforgettable. After crossing the island by boat from Plouguerneau, you step onto a wild islet where open moorland gives way to grey stone. The climb up to the large lighthouse requires breath and perseverance, but the panorama at the top - an endless expanse of sea, dotted with islets and crossed by the cargo ships of the Ushant rail - amply rewards the effort. On a clear day, the coastline as far as Ushant and the Molène archipelago can be seen on the horizon. The natural setting of Ile Vierge adds a wild and almost esoteric dimension to the visit. Listed as an ornithological reserve, the island is home to crested cormorants, herring gulls and, in spring, colonies of Arctic terns. The ground vibrates under the sea gusts, the iodised smell of the kelp and the cry of the birds create an atmosphere that no museum could reproduce. For the photographer, the low morning light on the two lighthouses side by side is one of the most sought-after shots of the Breton coastline.
Architecture
The first lighthouse, built in 1845 to designs by Léonce Reynaud, adopted the standard model for coastal lighthouses in the first half of the 19th century: a square tower of ashlar and local granite rubble, sober and functional, topped by a rectangular single-storey building housing the keepers' quarters and the oil stores. Its squat, whitewashed silhouette contrasts strikingly with its neighbour from the following century. The metal lantern crowning the tower was fitted with a Fresnel lens, a masterpiece of nineteenth-century optics, which multiplied the power of the fire. The great lighthouse, built between 1897 and 1902, represents a completely different level of architectural and technical ambition. Constructed entirely from Kersanton stone - a dark, dense metamorphic rock quarried from Cap de la Chèvre on the Crozon peninsula - it rises to a total height of 82.5 metres, with a base diameter of around 4 metres. The interior is one of the monument's major surprises: a 397-step suspended staircase, with a precise clockwork mechanism, runs along the inside wall, which is entirely clad in pearly white opaline slabs. This unexpected decoration, which is both aesthetic and functional - opaline reflects light and facilitates maintenance - gives the interior space an almost mystical atmosphere. The service room at the top houses the rotating optic, now electrified, whose white light with occultations reaches 27 miles.
Related Figures
Léonce Reynaud — ingénieur des Ponts et Chaussées, concepteur et superviseur du premier phare de l'île Vierge (1845), auteur de nombreux phares français et du Traité d'Architecture (1850-1858)Considère — ingénieur des Phares et Balises, auteur du premier projet (1896) pour le nouveau grand phare, finalement rejeté pour son austéritéPigeaud — ingénieur associé à Considère pour le projet de 1896, co-concepteur des premières esquisses du futur grand phareAugustin-Jean Fresnel — physicien normand (1788-1827) dont les lentilles à échelons révolutionnèrent l'optique des phares du monde entier, et dont l'invention équipa le premier phare de l'île Vierge dès 1845
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Phares de l'île Vierge located?
Phares de l'île Vierge is located in Plouguerneau, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Phares de l'île Vierge built?
Phares de l'île Vierge dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Phares de l'île Vierge open to visitors?
Phares de l'île Vierge is currently closed to visitors.