Kéréon Lighthouse

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Kéréon lighthouse rises on the Men Tensel reef, in the passage of the Bromeur in the Iroise Sea, between the islands of Ouessant and Molene. Built from 1907 to 1916, it is financed in part by an exceptional donation from Amicia Lebaudy, allowing sumptuous interior arrangements: mosaics, oak parquet floors, precious wood panelling, and a marked wind rose. This lighthouse bears the name of Charles-Marie Le Dall de Kéréon, naval officer guillotined under the Terror, in tribute to his great uncle.

The lighthouse was first switched on in 1916 and began operating in oil until it was electrified in 1972. His automation took place much later, on 29 January 2004, making him the last "inferno" (isolated beacon in the open sea) to lose his guards. Until then, they had maintained and operated, including generators and a wind turbine. Despite its automation, the lighthouse remains heated and dehumidified to preserve its decors.

Ranked a historic monument in 2017 after a first inscription in 2015, Kéréon is also a cultural symbol. In 2019, La Poste paid tribute to him by integrating him into a series of stamps entitled Repères de nos ribes. His story is also documented in books and a documentary, It was a lighthouse (2000), which evokes the lives of guardians in this extreme environment.

Architecturally, Kéréon is distinguished by its cylindrical tower housing six superimposed pieces and a metal lantern surmounted by a shelter for the fog mermaid. Its interior, of rare quality for a lighthouse, contrasts with its exterior sobriety. The engineers Fernand Crouton and Le Corvaisier supervised its construction, marking the climax of the lighthouses-monuments in France.

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