Construction of lighthouse 1968 (≈ 1968)
Inauguration according to plans of Maurice Durand.
3 août 1968
Fire ignition
Fire ignition 3 août 1968 (≈ 1968)
Commissioning of the Sautter-Harlé optics.
2000
Removal of Toran
Removal of Toran 2000 (≈ 2000)
End of radio help system.
8 décembre 2011
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 8 décembre 2011 (≈ 2011)
First official protection.
3 octobre 2012
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 3 octobre 2012 (≈ 2012)
Definitive protection by order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The lighthouse with its annexes (cad. BE 329): classification by decree of 3 October 2012
Key figures
Maurice Durand - Architect
Design designer of the lighthouse.
Origin and history
The Armandèche lighthouse is located on the Atlantic coast, west of the port of Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the district of La Chaume. Built in 1968 according to the plans of architect Maurice Durand, it is the last large lighthouse built in France. Its name comes from the place called the Armandèche, a linguistic distortion of Normandy, evoking the Viking invasions of the first millennium. This landing light, made of hexagonal concrete, replaces the former lighthouse of La Chaume, masked by the urban buildings of the 1960s-70s.
The lighthouse is distinguished by its innovative optical system: a fixed bulb whose optics rotate on a bath of mercury, creating from the sea the illusion of rotating beams. Automatized from the moment of construction and remotely controlled from Les Sables-d'Olonne, it peaks at 39 meters high, with a focal point at 35.8 meters above sea level. Although generally closed to the public, it opens exceptionally during Heritage Days.
Ranked a historic monument since 3 October 2012 (after a first inscription in 2011), the Armandèche lighthouse embodies both a maritime heritage and a technical feat of the 20th century. Its white barrel and red lantern, visible from the sea, make it an emblematic landmark of the coast of Vendee. The site, with an area of 780 m2, includes ancillary buildings and a rocky terrain characteristic of the La Chaume cornice.
The lighthouse also marks the end of an era: it is the last representative of the great French lighthouses, symbolizing the transition to automated and less monumental systems. Its functional architecture, signed Maurice Durand, reflects the technical standards of the 1960s, with a reinforced concrete structure designed to withstand extreme coastal conditions. The abolition of the Toran system in 2000 illustrates its adaptation to technological developments.
