Phare de Gatteville

On the tip of Barfleur, we discover this immense lighthouse as well as a semaphore, located a little further away. The two structures do not have the same functions, but are complementary.

While one reports, the other informs. The lighthouse has a powerful light at its top which is used to guide ships at night. The semaphore is a kind of optical telegraph which is used to communicate the positions of the different boats coming from the open sea. It provides them with various indications which prove extremely useful to sailors.

The original lighthouse was built in 1775 to protect the dangerous waters around Pointe de Barfleur, which were known for numerous shipping disasters, including the sinking of the "White Ship" in 1120. Since the first tower did not meet the requirements of the 1825 national coastal lighting program, construction began on a new, larger tower in 1829. Completed in 1835 under the direction of architect Charles-Félix Morice de la Rue, it replaced the old tower, which was then used as an optical telegraph.The new tower is made of approximately 11,000 granite blocks and has 365 steps—symbolizing the days of a year. It also has 52 windows (representing the weeks) and 12 floors (representing the months).

You can visit the museum on the ground floor, you can also go up depending on the weather. The time we went there was too much wind and the climb was prohibited. The museum is worth visiting.