Leaving the jetty, the platform of the circular bastion is reached by going through a postern and up some steps.

On the first floor, one passes through a door which leads to the hallway from which the stairs rise up to the lantern.

At each floor, it is possible to listen to a recorded commentary which makes the visit more enjoyable.

Arriving at the room on the first floor, here is an extract from what the recorded commentary invites us to discover:

"In the four corners of this room, doors lead off to smaller rooms which were used by the guards until 1790.

To the right, on entering, you will notice a door surmounted by a beautiful feminine head, finely sculptured in the stone.

All the rainwater which streams on to the lighthouse is returned into these fountains and then stored beneath your feet.

This fresh water is vital for the lighthouse keepers who stay day and night in the lighthouse all the year round.

Every lighthouse keeper spends on average, half of the year in the lighthouse and the other half off-duty.

The lighthouse keepers have to tend the light during the night and day and take care of such things as the generators which produce the electricity for the lighthouse.

They are alternately, painters, glaziers, carpenters, masons, electricians, mechanics, and every morning, they send the weather report to the service of the "Phares et Balises" based at Le Verdon-sur-Mer to inform sailors of the weather conditions.

Do not be put off by the impressive number of steps. Unlike other lighthouses, where the stairs are endless, narrow and close against the wall, the stairs of Cordouan are of the ornamental style with landings on each floor allowing a break in the climb to the top, giving one time to discover the treasures of the building.

Take time to look out through each window to see the lunar landscape which spreads out below, as far as the eye can see.

1^st Floor: the apartments of the King

2^nd Floor: the Chapel

3^rd Floor: the room of the Girondins

4^th and 5^th Floors: landings
Between 5^th and 6^th: The Watch Room

6^th Floor: the lantern

The idea of the lighthouse serving as a royal place of residence had been taken into account by Louis de Foix when planning the building but in fact, no king ever stayed in the lighthouse of Cordouan.

The room, arched and paved with black and white marble, is decorated with the monogram LMT of Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse.

In the centre of the room, an opening reminds one curiously that this is a lighthouse.

The chapel is the most impressive room, and the most unusual of the lighthouse.

It is surmounted by a vault with eight richly decorated bays.

Let's resume the text of the comments made on this floor:

"The chapel Notre Dame de Cordouan is the last room dating from the 17^th Century. Stained glass windows were produced by the famous glassworker Lobin, in 1855.

He also restored the stained glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris.

It is interesting to note that the lighthouse of Cordouan was classified a "Monument Historique" in 1862, at the same time as Notre-Dame de Paris.

All around the room, badges framed by clusters of grapes recall the regional coats of arms.

Those surmounted by the royal crown are dedicated to Henry III and Henry IV. The ceiling is coffered, directly cut into the stone and painted.

On March 2nd, 1584, in the presence of the Marshal de Matignon and of Michel de Montaigne, the order of the lighthouse of Cordouan was bestowed on Louis de Foix, engineer-architect whose bust surmounts the front door.

Louis de Foix dedicated all his fortune to the construction of the lighthouse and died in 1602 before seeing it completed.

His son succeeded him but ruined, he passed the task on to the works foreman Beuscher, who finally completed the work in 1611 ; in fact, 27 years after the signing of the contract.

Masses are still celebrated in the lighthouse on special occasions such as religious days or at baptisms or marriages. On leaving, take a look at the impressive fonts.

Next stage, the room of the "Girondins"

"The room of the Girondins", the first room constructed by the raising of the tower under the direction in 1789 of the engineer Teulère.

This extra height of the tower, gained by keeping the three lower levels, doubled the height of the lighthouse and made it more visible to navigators.

To avoid weighing down the foundations, Teulère decided to build a fine stone wall strengthened by a stairway in the form of a vault at the periphery to enforce the rigidity of the tower.

 The conjunction of this stair-vault with the floors at the various upper levels, gives a remarkable appearance in the form of a heart, which can be seen by looking upwards.

In the centre of the vault-ceiling conjunction, a copper plaque commemorates these works.

It is possible to have an idea of the difficulty of the construction work when one realises that most of the stones make up the entire thickness of the tower and are assembled in such a precise fashion that it is impossible to slide the blade of a knife between the joints.

You will also be interested to see all the sculptured pieces of copper hardware which date from 1789.

As a reward for the ascent, from the platform of the lantern there is a magnificent view over the estuary of the Gironde, the Pointe de Grave and Le Verdon-sur-Mer, the coast of Gironde, Soulac-sur-Mer, L'Amélie-les-Bains, the coast of Charente- Maritime, from Saint-Georges-de-Didonne to the forest of La Coubre.

The lighthouse of Cordouan is the most unique of all the lighthouses. Unique in its isolation, it is built on a rocky island which is revealed at low tide. Unique in its conception, because it was designed for the functions of lighthouse, royal place of residence and church.

Many people tried to characterise it by calling it the Dean of Lighthouses, the Oldest Lighthouse in Europe, Versailles of the Sea, the King of Lighthouses, the Lighthouse of Kings, …In 1862, it was one of the first two French monuments, together with Notre-Dame de Paris, to be classified "Monument Historique".

Two Centuries later, this 14^th century tower was in poor condition and during the reign of Henry III, it was decided to build a new lighthouse.

In 1581, the project was entrusted to the engineer Louis de Foix and the works began in 1584. The project planned a tower with three floors.

In 1593, Henry IV who succeeded Henry III, approved a new project, a room on the ground floor, the appartment on the first floor, the chapel on the top floor.

Two hundred workers were on the construction site. The works were finished in 1611, twenty seven years after they were begun. The building was strengthened and restored during the reign of Louis XIV

In 1788 and 1789, the lighthouse was heightened by the engineer Teulère, which changed it to its present shape. The three upper floors were built in the style of Louis XVI whose sobriety contrasts with the richness of the first floors.

In 1823, the first lens device with a revolving system, developed by A.Fresnel, was first tried out at Cordouan. In the19^th Century, the light worked with liquid petroleum gas. In 1950, the lighthouse was electrified thanks to the installation of two generators.

If you wish, you can contact
The Association for the Protection of the Lighthouse of Cordouan
Office of Tourism of Le Verdon-sur-Mer
Rue François Le Breton
33123 Le Verdon-sur-Mer
Phone 05 56 09 61 78