The Phare de Gatteville, located in Gatteville-le-Phare, Normandy, France, is an active lighthouse erected in 1774 to address the strong currents and shipwrecks in the area. The lighthouse, originally called Phare de Barfleur, underwent several upgrades, including the replacement of the lantern with oil lamps in 1780, a change to mineral oil in 1873, and the installation of an electric lantern in 1893. The original lighthouse, standing 25 metres (82 ft) in diameter at the base, was topped with a coal fire and first lit on November 1, 1775.
A new lighthouse was built from 1829 to 1835, 60 metres (200 ft) from the old one. This new tower, 247 feet (75 m) tall, is the third tallest traditional lighthouse in the world. Today, visitors can climb 365 stairs to access the gallery of Phare de Gatteville and learn about its history. The current light is a 1600 watt xenon lamp, with one lamp lit on clear days and two on bad weather.
Additionally, Phare de Gatteville has been featured in the 1981 film Diva. The site remains an active maritime structure and a lighthouse museum.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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