Although the famous Cordouan lighthouse in the Gironde estuary, built during the reign of Henry IV and endowed with its large cylindrical barrel in the 18th century, is on the list of listed monuments as early as 1862,the other 130 French lighthouses were, in fact, notoriously under-ratedrepresented in the corpus of historical monuments.
Rigorous scientific inventory work undertaken in partnership with
the ministry in charge of the sea, has allowed to identify, within this
set of lighthouses, those of greatest interest
assets, and could justify protection under the
historical monuments.
The regions of Aquitaine, Brittany, Corsica and Nord-Pas-de-De
Calais, Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy were able to bring together their
regional heritage and site commissions to submit to
their review a selection of lighthouses; some have been listed under
historical monuments, and a small number of files have been
transmitted to the National Commission for Historic Monuments, for
opinion on a possible classification.
This proposal concerns 14 lighthouses (three of which are proposed with
the old lighthouse, still preserved, which they replaced):
Nine lighthouses located in Brittany:
Héaux-de-Brhat lighthouse in Bréhat (Côtes-d'Armor)
lighthouse and former lighthouse of Cap Fréhel in Plévenon (Côtes-d'-Armor)
Pontusval lighthouse in Brignogan-Plage (Finistère)
Créac'h lighthouse in Ouessant (Finistère)
Stiff lighthouse in Ouessant (Finistère)
Eckmühl lighthouse and former Penmarch lighthouse in Penmarch
(Finistere)
lighthouse and former lighthouse of Île Vierge in Plouguerneau (Finistère)
lighthouse from Saint-Mathieu to Plougonvelin (Finistère)
large lighthouse from Belle-Ile (Goulphar) to Bangor (Morbihan)
A lighthouse located in Corsica
Giraglia lighthouse in Ersa (Upper Corsica)
Three lighthouses located in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Risban lighthouse in Dunkerque (North)
Calais Lighthouse (Pas-de-Calais)
Canche au Touquet lighthouse (Pas-de-Calais)
A lighthouse located in Haute-Normandie
Fatouville lighthouse, Fatouville-Grestain (Eure)
The Minister welcomes this cooperation with the Ministry of
Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing,
and this proposal for the classification of these lighthouses, of great interest
historical and architectural, with associated typologies
the great phases of construction of the marine heritage (former
Regime, 19th century and Reconstruction).
This work will soon continue in the other coastal regions
The regional heritage commissions and sites will be
including reviewing the issue of lighthouses in Réunion and Poitou-
Charentes by mid-December.