It is known by many by the king of all lighthouses or the “Versailles” of the Sea. We are referring to the guardian of the Gironde estuary, the oldest lighthouse in France and the first one to be classified as a historical monument, in 1862 along with the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

But, why does this famous lighthouse got its name? Why is it called the Córdoba (Cordouan) Lightouse?

There are plenty of hypothesis and theories on the matter, but its seems like the name goes back to the Muslim Invasions that during the VIIIth century overrun the Visigothic Spain and  reached the heart of France where, in 732, in the battle of Poitiers, near the city of Tours, would be stopped by the armies lead by Charles Martel, who defeated Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Gafiqi and who died in battle.

However some months earlier the same al-Gafiqi lead the Muslim army obtaining a massive victory over the Christians. He crossed the Pyrenees through Roncesvaux and with great speed came to face the armies of Odo the Great at the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers (where the Cordouan Lighthouse is located). The Frank armies were completely destroyed and its nearby cities and rich monasteries sacked. The slaughter of Christians at the hands of the Muslim victors was fierce.

Even after the defeat of Poitiers, Muslims managed to keep control of the walls of Bourdeaux for some years. The estuary of Gironde has had throughout history a dreadful reputation. It was known for being treacherous and very dangerous to cross –for its crossing was needed in order to reach the harbor of Bourdeaux–; the small islet of Corduan, which emerges only when the tide goes out, is famous for being a sea graveyard. Also we should add the risk of its shoals and strong currents. Therefore the Muslims there built a lighthouse in the islet to guide the ships that wanted to reach the harbor of the city. There is evidence of a strong commercial relationship with the harbor of Bourdeaux during those Muslim years. Some historians even state that it could have been likely that a small colony was established in the islet but was then lost to the tides.

Virtual image of the Lighthouse designed by Luis de Foix before its reform in the XVIIIth century.

King of all lighthouses or lighthouse of Kings?

In 1584, Marshal Matignon, governonr of Guyenne, and Michel de Montaigne, mayor of Bourdeaux hired for the project of restoring and improving the lighthouse the architect and engineer Louis de Foix, personal watchmaker of Philip II, for the old lighthouse had fallen into ruin. The project went beyond a mere tower with a fire in it. The king wanted a royal construction, a royal aesthetic: a round tower of three stores built on top of a solid platform. 

The most stunning sites of the the lighthouse are without doubt the Chamber of the King  and the Chapel. The royal Chamber, in the fist store of the building, is a luxurious domed room with chimneys, marble floors and decorated walls. Despite being built as a Royal Chamber no King has ever slept there. Each year nearly 20.000 people visit the lighthouse.

As of today a committee is fighting to turn this marvelous monument into a World Heritage Site. In 2017 the building was acknowledged as a “masterpiece of human creative genius” one of the needed conditions for the Corduan Lighthouse to enter the candidate list of 2020.

Viento10 wishes sincerely that this masterpiece gets its rightful place among Human Being best creations.