Île Vierge

Île Vierge lighthouse
Location	Île Vierge, Finistère; France
Coordinates	48°38′20″N 4°34′03″W / 48.638888°N 4.567493°W
Tower
Constructed	1845 (first)
Construction	stone tower (first); granite tower (current)
Automated	2010, 2002
Height	31 m (102 ft) (first); 82.5 m (271 ft) (current)
Shape	square tower with balcony and lantern (first); tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern (current)
Markings	white tower and lantern (first); unpainted tower, green lantern dome (current)
Heritage	classified historical monument
Light
First lit	1902 (current)
Focal height	77 m (253 ft) (current)
Lens	4 Fresnel lenses
Range	50 km (27 nmi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5s.

Île Vierge

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Location of Île Vierge within Finistère

Île Vierge (Breton language: Enez-Werc'h) is a 6-hectare (15-acre)^[1] islet lying 1.5 kilometres (3⁄4 nautical mile) off the north-west coast of Brittany, opposite the village of Lilia.^[2] It is in the commune of Plouguerneau, in the département of Finistère.^[2] It is the location of the tallest stone lighthouse in Europe,^[2]^[3] and the tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.^[4] The International Hydrographic Organization specifies Île Vierge as marking the south-western limit of the English Channel.^[5]

History

About 1450, the Conventual Franciscans established an abbey on the island.^[2] The name "Île Vierge" probably comes from a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.^[2] In 1507, the monks moved to Aber Wrac'h on the mainland.^[2] In 1844, the French state purchased the island ^[2] from sieur Goyon de Coëpel for 6,000 francs.^[1]

The lighthouses

The first lighthouse was a square tower 33 metres (108 ft) high constructed in 1842–45.^[2] It started operation on 15 August 1845,^[2] feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin.^[7] It had a fixed white light visible for 14 nautical miles (26 kilometres).^[2] 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.^[2]

The newer lighthouse is 82.5 metres (271 ft) tall, made of blocks of granite.^[8] The external face is a truncated cone; the interior face is cylindrical, lined with 12,500 opaline glass tiles made by Saint-Gobain.^[2] There are five steps to the front door; inside, 360 steps of stone and 32 of iron lead to the lamp platform.^[2] The electric lamp was installed in 1952 on the original mechanical turning plate, sitting in a bath of mercury.^[2] The plate was replaced with an electric motor in 1983.^[2] The lamp has four lenses with a focal length of 0.5m.^[2] The twin beam gives a white flash every 5 seconds, visible for 27 nmi (50 km).^[2] Electrical generators were installed in 1959, supplemented in 1967–1994 by two wind turbines.^[2] The light and rotation are activated automatically by a photoelectric sensor.^[2] Although the lighthouse is automated, the site is still staffed.^[9]

The island is open to the public from April to September, as is the lighthouse, by appointment.^[2] The number of visitors was 5,944 in 2003; 5,974 in 2004; 7,371 in 2005.^[10] Both lighthouses are a listed monument since 2011.^[3]

Notes

^ ^a ^b "DDE 29: L'Île Vierge". DDE du Finistère (in French). Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Sea. 21 September 2005. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t "Phare de l'île Vierge" [l'île Vierge Lighthouse]. Sécurité maritime - Les Phares et Balises (in French). France: Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Sea. 30 June 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
^ ^a ^b Base Mérimée: Phares de l'île Vierge, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
^ Rowlett, Russ. "The Tallest Lighthouses". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ Limits of Oceans and Seas (PDF) (3rd + corrections ed.). International Hydrographic Organization. 1971. p. 42 [corrections to page 13]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
^ Jollands, Beverley; Fisher, Paul (2011). 100 Landmarks of the World. Parragon. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-1-4454-3779-8.
^ Lessard, Anne. "Le phare de l'île Vierge" [l'île Vierge Lighthouse]. Patrimoine maritime (in French). bretagne.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of France: Northern Finistère". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
^ "Automatisation programme" (PDF). Planete TP : tout sur les Travaux publics. Paris: ASCO-TP (Association pour la Connaissance des Travaux Publics). 18 February 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
^ "4 – Le patrimoine des phares et balises" [4 - The heritage of lighthouses and beacons]. Phare d'Eckmühl, Commune de Penmarc'h: Travaux d'expertise du phare: Dossier de presse (Lighthouse of Eckmühl (Penmarc'h), Commune de Penmarc'h: Specialised works on the lighthouse: Press kit) (in French). Direction départementale de l’Equipement du Finistère. p. 4. Archived from the original (MS Word) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2009.