The Cordouan lighthouse, a UNESCO jewel at the gateway to the estuary
In Le Verdon-sur-Mer, Henri III conceived of the Cordouan lighthouse as a new Wonder of the World. 400 years later, the Versailles of the Seas has gone down in history, and its inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021 will prove him right. Discover the regal past of the world’s last remaining lighthouse, which left an indelible mark on the history of navigation. Before enjoying the unforgettable experience of visiting it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Cordouan Lighthouse
A royal history
The Cordouan lighthouse is nicknamed the King of Lighthouses and the Versailles of the Seas. But why? Because as well as being an architectural jewel, it is also the result of a royal peplum that left an indelible mark on the history of the Médoc and shipping.
From its sumptuous ornamentation to its facilities (water recovery system, insulation of the walls, consecrated chapel, etc.), Cordouan is a veritable castle on the water, standing at 68 metres tall and 7 storeys high. And certain details stand out for anyone lucky enough to visit it: the presence of royal symbols on its floors (monograms “L, M and T” for Louis and Marie-Thérèse of Austria in the kings’ flat, escutcheons in the chapel, etc.).
Its construction was in fact initiated by a king, Henry III, who commissioned the architect Louis de Foix in the 1580s to build a new Wonder of the World at the entrance to the estuary.
The Wars of Religion thwarted his ambitions, but Henry IV took up the torch and turned it into a symbol of royal grandeur.
Its construction was completed in 1611. Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI also looked after its destiny, and it became the “Versailles of the Seas”. Its current appearance dates from 1790, when it was built under the direction of the engineer Teulière.
Cordouan was treated as a veritable “royal seal” in the provinces. But at the risk of disappointing you, historians are categorical: no King of France would ever have set foot on the Versailles of the Seas. It’s far too dangerous to isolate a king in the middle of the ocean! On the other hand, there are still doubts as to whether Louis le Débonnaire passed through the very first tower built around the year 1000 by hermits in place of the current lighthouse.
The Fresnel lens
Cordouan, a place of great maritime innovations
The Cordouan lighthouse was the site of many innovations, thanks to its strategic position and monumental size. In 2023, France celebrated the bicentenary of an invention that revolutionised the world of lighthouses: the Fresnel lens. Did you know that it was at Cordouan that this young engineer installed and tested this fabulous device for the first time?
After contradicting Newton’s so-called “corpuscular” theory of light, Augustin Fresnel arrived in the Médoc in 1823 to install his now-famous lens on the Cordouan lighthouse. The newspapers were full of headlines about a coming revolution at Le Verdon-sur-Mer! When Fresnel’s lens was lit for the first time on 25 July 1823, not a single sailor from the Estuary was in port: everyone was at sea to see the Cordouan lighthouse shine for miles around… Scientists from all over the world came to Cordouan to admire the feat, and the mass industrialisation of this stepped lens made France the world’s leading exporter of optics. This system is still used in many everyday objects.
My life as a lighthouse keeper
The Cordouan lighthouse today
In 2024, the Cordouan lighthouse is still manned, and is even the last maritime lighthouse in the world to be so. Forget, however, the legend of the lighthouse keeper locked up alone in his lighthouse on the open sea: for obvious safety reasons, there are always at least 2 of them taking turns.
If you visit the Cordouan lighthouse, the keepers themselves will be your guides, and they have some incredible anecdotes to tell you…
For example, it’s not unusual to see guillemots land here. At ease in this haven of peace, some behave like real pets and share their daily lives!
In 1981, the lighthouse keepers at the time were surprised at breakfast by some strange birds with far less benevolent intentions: alerted by the sound of chisels, they dropped their sandwiches and came face to face with vandals who were trying to unsolder the lighthouse stones. They had no idea that this lighthouse on the open sea was still inhabited!
Preserving our maritime heritage
UNESCO recognition
An association campaigned long and hard to have the Cordouan lighthouse included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in particular to ensure its protection by maintaining its guards. The Lighthouse of Cordouan will receive this recognition in 2021, a great victory for heritage lovers, as the historical and cultural value of this legendary maritime lighthouse is inestimable !
