Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cape Ferrat lighthouse, located at the southern end of the peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (Alpes-Maritimes), replaces an old 16th-century fire tower and a Piedmontese lighthouse of 1732, destroyed in 1944. This first building, an octagonal tower of 33.50 m high, was restored in 1827-1828 before its destruction by German troops. Its strategic location marked the entrance to the bay of Villefranche, a key point for navigation in the Mediterranean.

The current lighthouse, built in 1949 by the Bridges and Chaussées and lit in 1952, adopts an octagonal pyramidal structure in apparent stone, connected to guard housing and a technical space. Designed by engineer C. Espitalier, it is inspired by traditional forms while integrating modern amenities. Automatized, it is located near the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat and was classified as a historical monument in 2012.

The site also houses a semaphore built in 1862 under Napoleon III, originally intended for a coastal transmission chain. Today managed by the National Navy, it provides maritime surveillance and fire detection. The lighthouse, on the other hand, symbolizes both the legacy of historical signalling techniques and contemporary adaptations, with Sophie Duez as godmother since an unspecified date.

The whole, including gardens, walls and outbuildings, has been protected since 2012 for its architecture and its role in the maritime heritage. The sources mention restorations of housing and surroundings, stressing the desire to preserve this emblematic place of the French Riviera, between naval history and tourist attraction.

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