The Cacilhas Lighthouse ( pt, Farol de Cacilhas) is situated in the parish of
Cacilhas, in the municipality of
Almada
Almada () is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River, on the opposite side of the river from Lisbon. The two cities are connected by the 25 de Abril Bridge. The population in 2011 was 174,030, in a ...
, on the opposite side of the
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...
River from the Portuguese capital of
Lisbon. Although not functioning, it was restored in 2009 as it is considered to be an important part of the area's heritage.
The lighthouse started operating on 31 December 1885 for the purpose of indicating the southern limit of the anchorage area on the River Tagus, an area where fog is common. It consisted of a cylindrical tower, 12 metres high and with a diameter of 1.7 meters. It emitted an oil-fuelled, fixed white light over 342 degrees, with a fifth-order lens giving a nominal range of 11.5 nautical miles. In May 1886 a bell, controlled by clockwork, was added. In 1905 a device was installed to cover the light for five seconds every minute to distinguish it from the fixed lights of vessels on the river.
[
As with other lighthouses in Portugal, the Cacilhas Lighthouse was shut down from March 1916 to the end of 1918, during the First World War. In 1927 it started to use acetylene gas for lighting, a fourth-order lens was installed and blue panels were added to give it a green light, to comply with international regulations for port lights. A pneumatic horn was installed in 1931 to replace the bell, which was donated to fishermen in ]Ericeira
Ericeira () is a civil parish and seaside community on the western coast of Portugal (in Mafra municipality, about 45km northwest of Lisbon) considered the surfing capital of Europe for being the only European spot among the World Surfing Reserve ...
for use during fog. The lighthouse was connected to the public grid in 1957. A 500-watt bulb was installed, emitting a green flash for 0.3 seconds followed by a one-second concealment, with a range of 17 nautical miles. It became a popular attraction in the Cacilhas area.[
The horn was deactivated in 1977. In 1978 it was decided to close the lighthouse, both because it no longer served a useful purpose for navigation and because it was in the way of construction work for the new terminal for passenger ferries connecting Cacilhas with Lisbon. It was dismantled and, in 1980, was sent to the ]Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
to replace the Serreta lighthouse on Terceira Island
Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 53,311 inhabitants in an area of approximately . It is the location ...
, which had been damaged by an earthquake on 1 January 1980.Paço de Arcos
Paço de Arcos () is a locality of Oeiras. In 2013, the parish of Paço de Arcos merged into the new parish Oeiras e São Julião da Barra, Paço de Arcos e Caxias. The population in 2011 was 15,315, in an area of 3.39 km². It was elevate ...
near Lisbon. A relocation ceremony for the restored lighthouse, which is now only for decorative purposes, was held on 18 July 2009. It stands a few meters from its original site. The lighthouse is now considered to be part of the Naval Museum of Almada.
See also
* List of lighthouses in Portugal
References
*
{{Lighthouses in Europe
Lighthouses in Portugal
Lighthouses completed in 1885
Buildings and structures in Almada