In the Gironde estuary, Cordouan, the "king of lighthouses", crowned by Unesco

The last inhabited sea lighthouse in France and the second lighthouse registered by Unesco after that of La Coruña, in Spain, the imposing truncated cone tower of light stone marks the entrance to the largest estuary in Europe, with capricious currents and tricky rocks , seven kilometers from Verdon-sur-Mer (Gironde) and ten from Royan (Charente-Maritime).

The Ministers of Culture Roselyne Bachelot and of the Sea Annick Girardin welcomed this decision. It is "a victory for the French maritime heritage but which implies a great responsibility, that of continuing to preserve this exceptional site for future generations", greeted Mrs. Girardin in a press release.

Built on a plateau that reveals itself at low tide in green and blue reflections, contrasting with the yellow of the sandbanks, and surrounded by a thick stone wall that protects it from the onslaught of water at high tide, like a As a shield, Cordouan is only revealed to the public in summer and only if the sea is willing.

"Superb", "classy", "bluffing" ... It is little to say that the lighthouse, which entered the inventory of historic monuments in 1862, like Notre-Dame de Paris, is making an impression. Visitors are surprised that Unesco has not recognized its "outstanding universal value" earlier.

"Its appearance, its architecture, its state of conservation, its history, complicated access ... It's a castle!", Remarks Jacques, 69-year-old retiree and "lighthouse fan" from Nantes. "In addition, it is a laughing lighthouse, with its color less austere than that of granite from Brittany".

"Cordouan, it was the first thing to do on my list of young retiree. This richness, these sculptures ... I did not see it so big inside", slips Martine, a Girondine of 61 years.

Disembarking from the boat at low tide, visitors (around 24.000 per year excluding the health crisis) are instructed in the rich history and heritage value of the place by caretakers who live in this building owned by the State but managed by the Mixed Syndicate for sustainable development of the Gironde estuary (Smiddest).

Wanted by Henry III to replace an old English fire tower, built under Henry IV and enhanced under Louis XVI, the lighthouse was inaugurated in 1611 as a building "commensurate with royal power" in a country just emerging from the wars of religion , they explain.

"Very beautiful, very clean"

Once you have passed the columned portico which marks the entrance to this 67-meter tower, with its ornate stones and mascarons, human figures in a grotesque style, there are 301 steps to climb to go from the sea to the sky.

You have to cross the "King's apartment" - where never a king has set foot -, then a chapel with stained glass windows and a marble floor - where some visitors light candles -, and take a spiral staircase of stones, like suspended, to join the outer passageway, just under the lantern.

From up there, a 360-degree panorama, from Soulac-sur-Mer to La Palmyre, is offered to the visitor whose keen eye can distinguish the ship's bow shape of the raw concrete church of Royan.

It is in Cordouan, explain the guards, that the scientist Augustin Fresnel tested his famous lens in 1823. Since then, this device of glass plates, which allows "to flatten the light beam to intensify it", equips all lighthouses of the world. Here, a simple 250-watt bulb carries the light signal to 39 km.

Coming by force of arms, in a sea kayak, Christophe Bonnin - regular visitor to the building - is pleased with the very latest work campaigns carried out for the Unesco application: "The lighthouse is really beautiful, very clean".

Reinforcement of the access path, recovery of stones eaten away by salt, restoration of the chapel ... Masons, rope access technicians, sculptors and stonemasons have followed one another in the winter, since 2019, at a cost of 2 million euros supported by the State and local authorities.

When leaving Cordouan, visibly with regret, a man shouts to the guards: "You have a very nice second home!". A habit for them: "There is always one who asks to stay in our place".