The Lighthouse of Ponta de Sagres ( pt, Estação Rádio-Goniométrica/Farolim de Sagres/Farol da Ponta de Sagres), is beacon/lighthouse located along the coastal peninsula of

Sagres Point Sagres Point (', , from the Latin ''Promontorium Sacrum'' ‘Holy Promontory’) is a windswept shelf-like promontory located in the southwest Algarve region of southern Portugal. Only 4 km to the west and 3 km to the north lies Cape S ...

in the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

of Sagres, in the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of the

Vila do Bispo Vila do Bispo () is a municipality (''concelho'') in the Portuguese Algarve. It has 5,717 inhabitants in an area of 179.06 km2. History The first references to this region referred to the ''Aldeia do Bispo'' in the 14th century, in a char ...

History

As part of the 5th centenary commemorations marking the birth of

Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

, in 1894 the lighthouse was inaugurated. The third navigational advisory, dated 3 March 1894, indicated that he light was a fixed red beacon, with a , using a petroleum lamp. On 28 November 1906, the 5th order diopter lamp was substituted by an optical device of greater range. This lantern was lit on 23 June 1923, following the construction of a new building with the installation of a 4th order catadioptric optical lamp, that was originally installed in the lighthouse of Ponta da Piedade. Between 1947-1949, the lighthouse was transferred to the Ministry of the Navy. The illumination source was changed to an electric incandescent lamp following the installation of power generators. In 1958, it was decided to demolish the building, due to its historic inadequacy, and a new structure was constructed from the old building. Budgeted at 146.890$00

escudos The escudo (Portuguese language, Portuguese: 'shield') is a unit of currency historically used in Portugal and its Portuguese Empire, colonies in South America, Asia, and Africa. It was originally worth 16 silver . The Cape Verdean escudo and ...

(733.00 euros), the new lighthouse was inaugurated on 1 April 1960. The lighthouse was automatized in 1979. In August 1983, the lighthouse began to be controlled from a distance, from the Cape St. Vincent Lighthouse, and integrated into the special protection zone of the fortress of Sagres.

Architecture

The lighthouse tower is , the light is located at about altitude and has a range of . The lamp is characterized by a luminous red beacon that flashes at a two-second interval. The rotation of the optical beacon is produced from clock mechanism. The building consists of a rectangular tower of white masonry, with a single-story annex for the residence of the lighthouse-keeper and storage of material, measuring to the cornices.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * * * * {{authority control Ponta Sagres Buildings and structures in the Algarve

History

Architecture

See also

References