History

14th century – The Black Prince’s Tower

Around 1365, on the island of Cordouan, a first beacon tower was built during the reign of Edward of Woodstock (1330–1376), known as the Black Prince. Each night, a hermit maintained a large fire at the top of the tower to guide sailors through the Gironde estuary, which was then notorious for the dangers of navigation.

16th century – The Kings’ Tower

In the 16th century, the Black Prince’s Tower fell into ruin, and the fire was no longer maintained by the hermits. King Henry III then entrusted engineer Louis de Foix with the construction of a new tower. The long and challenging building project was slowed by the Wars of Religion and by the high cost of the works.
After the death of Henry III, his successor Henry IV resumed the project and made it more ambitious: the base took the form of an annular shield, the watch chamber became a chapel topped with a coffered dome, surmounted by a lantern housing the light.
In 1611, after 27 years of work, the majestic round tower, rising 37 metres high and comprising three levels, finally stood — though none of its great builders lived to see its completion.

18th century – The Lighthouse of the Enlightenment

On the eve of the French Revolution, the lighthouse was no longer suited to the needs of modern navigation. In 1788, architect and engineer Joseph Teulère undertook major works that would give Cordouan Lighthouse its present appearance. Building upon the existing structure, he added four storeys and installed a metal lantern housing a rotating light system that was revolutionary for its time.

19th century – The Lighthouse of Innovation

Under Napoleon III, the lighthouse chapel was enhanced, and additional amenities were added to the interior fittings as well as to the keepers’ living quarters. At the same time, scientific research sought to improve lighthouse lighting systems, and Cordouan became a true experimental site for lighthouse technology.
In 1823, engineer Augustin Fresnel tested there the prototype of his stepped lens, a system that would revolutionise modern lighthouse lighting. Even today, the famous “Fresnel lens” equips the majority of lighthouses around the world.
In 1862, Cordouan Lighthouse was listed as a Historic Monument, a first for a building of this kind.

Today – The King of Lighthouses

The lighting system of Cordouan Lighthouse continued to evolve until its automation in 2006. Today, its light guides sailors for more than 40 kilometres out at sea.
Yet the lighthouse’s history has not been without upheaval: in 1980, the French Lighthouse and Buoyage Administration considered closing it. In response to this threat, the “Sauvegarde du Phare de Cordouan” association was founded in 1982. Thanks to strong local mobilisation and a media campaign, the closure project was abandoned — the lighthouse was saved.
A major restoration campaign was then carried out from 2005 to 2022. Today, the association — now known as the “Association des Phares de Grave et de Cordouan” — continues to safeguard this emblematic monument. On 24 July 2021, Cordouan Lighthouse entered history when it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.