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Origin and history

The Pilier lighthouse, located in the commune of Noirmoutier-en-l'Île in Vendée, is an integral part of the southern marking system of the Loire estuary. Managed since 1905 by the Department of Lighthouses and Beacons of Saint-Nazaire, this site protected by the conservatory of the coast consists of two distinct lighthouses: a first cylindrical tower built in 1829, then disused after technical problems related to its oil lighting system in 1870, and a second lighthouse in the shape of a pyramid trunk, erected in 1877 and still in operation today.

The first tower, 29.50 metres high (32.50 metres above the sea), was built in stone masonry between 1827 and 1828 by the contractor Pierre Termeau, according to plans of the engineer Plantier. Originally equipped with a white fixed light varied by shrapnel, it underwent restorations in 1860, including the construction of housing for guards. However, in 1870, the installation of an oil burner caused the welds of the lantern to melt, making it necessary to build a new lighthouse.

The second lighthouse, lit in 1877, has a quadrangular pyramidal shape of 30.20 metres high, topped by a red brick gallery. It was equipped with a fire with three flashes grouped in 1903, then with a fog mermaid in 1910, upgraded in 1934. After damage during World War II, the lighthouse was re-lit in 1945 and automated in 1996. Its current architecture includes a large red lantern, a half-lantern on the southeast side, and the remains of the first lighthouse, topped by an old radio beacon.

Ranked a historic monument in 2012, it also includes ancillary buildings, 16 897 m2 gardens and technical elements such as aerogenators installed in 1966. The site illustrates the evolution of maritime lighting techniques from vegetable oil (1829) to electrification (1966), while maintaining remarkable architectural decorations, such as lions, acanthe leaves, and a mercury tank.

The island of Pilier, a protected site, is home to a major maritime heritage, witness to the technical challenges and innovations that marked the history of French lighthouses in the 19th and 20th centuries. The current lighthouse, remote controlled from Saint-Nazaire, remains an essential point of reference for navigation in the Loire estuary.

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