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Origin and history

The Contis lighthouse was built between 1861 and 1863 under Napoleon III to fill a gap between the lighthouses of Biarritz and Arcachon. The site of Contis, chosen for its central position, requires an imposing tower due to the low height of the dune. The work, initially entrusted to the Barsacq company, faces technical and logistical difficulties, in particular due to the shifting sands and the lack of skilled labour. The building uses local rubble and Saint-Savinien stones, with reinforced foundations to stabilize the building. The lighthouse entered service on December 20, 1863, equipped with an optical of 1833 transferred from Biarritz.

Originally entirely white, the lighthouse was decorated in 1937 with two black spiral bands by painter Bellocq, transforming it into a recognizable bitter day, inspired by American barber's pole signs. These strips, starting from the west and east doors, roll the barrel over its entire height. Electrified in 1933, the lighthouse suffered damage during World War II: its dome was destroyed in 1944 by the Germans and rebuilt in 1949. Automatized in 1999, it marks the end of 135 years of human presence, with more than 30 guards taking over, including the last, Gilles Bodin, establishing a small museum on site.

The lighthouse resists two earthquakes (1873 and 1909) and has its manual rotation system, requiring until 1928 a weight of 75 kg mounted every three hours, replaced by a motorized mechanism. Its spiral staircase, initially 146 steps, has 192 steps after renovation. The lantern, first fed with rapeseed oil (20 litres per night), and then oil, now houses a halogen lamp of 180 W with a range of 42 km. The lighthouse also serves as a radio relay for CROSS and coastal telecommunications.

Built on a 11.60 metre dune, the lighthouse peaks at 53.1 metres above sea level, with a focal point at 39 metres. Its optics, based on a mercury tank to ensure perfect horizontal rotation, are remotely controlled from Bayonne. Ranked a historic monument in 2009, it remains the only lighthouse in the Landes department, symbolizing 19th century engineering and adaptation to local maritime challenges. The national archives retained nine technical plates dated from 1862 to 1866, reflecting its design.

The U-house body, built for 283,681 francs, initially housed three guards (reduced to two in 1909), with gardens, bread oven and henhouse. The materials, transported via the Rion-des-Landes station and then by beef couplers, include the local garluche and Saint-Savinien stones. The state-owned lighthouse also illustrates technological advances from whale oil to electricity, and strategic issues such as its military occupation during the Second World War.

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