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Origin and history

The Chauveau lighthouse, located opposite the tip of the same name off Rivedoux-Plage in the pertuis of Antioche, is the only lighthouse at sea in the Charente-Maritime department. Built between 1839 and 1842 by Chief Engineer Garnier and Second Engineer Potel, it is distinguished by its trumpet shape, with a flared and concave base to resist the waves. Accessible on foot at low tide, it measures 30,70 meters, including 27,30 meters above the sea, and houses period furniture.

The construction of the lighthouse was motivated by the dangerousness of the Chauveau and Lavardin rocks, which had been reported by the lighthouse commission in 1825. Initially conceived as a simple turret, the project evolved into a guarded tower, inspired by British models and adapted by Léonce Reynaud. The fire was first lit on 1 March 1842. Its unique architecture, with narrow and circular rooms connected by milling ladders, makes it one of the finest and least comfortable offshore lighthouses for its guards.

Several technical developments marked its history: in 1874, mineral oil was replaced by rapeseed oil, then in 1906 by oil steam. In 1968, the lighthouse was automated with a power generator. Today, although not open to the public, it retains all its original furniture and is the subject of energy modernization projects (wind and solar). Since 15 April 2011, it has remained an emblematic landmark of the pertuis of Antioche.

The Chauveau lighthouse is built on a plateau accessible during the great tides, protected by the pertuis. Its architectural coronation includes an astragal, an elliptical throat, a larmal and a cimas. Although the fishery is conducted on foot, oyster harvesting is prohibited. The National Archives maintains eleven plans of the lighthouse, dated from 1839 to 1896, reflecting its technical and architectural evolution.

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