The Punta Nati Lighthouse is an active aid to navigation located on the rocky north western coast of the Spanish island of
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
.
The lighthouse was built following demands from the French authorities to light the northern coast of the island. This was primarily in response to the sinking of the French steamship ''Général Chanzy'' nearby in 1910, during which 156 passengers and crew lost their lives. Designed by the engineer Mauro Serret, Punta Nati was constructed rapidly in just over a year, it became operational in 1913, and was fully completed in 1914.
The loss of the ''Général Chanzy'' was the catalyst for building the light, but a number of other shipwrecks had also occurred in the area despite the presence of the lighthouse at
Cavalleria
''Cavalry'' (Italian: ''Cavalleria'') is a 1936 Italian drama film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Elisa Cegani and Luigi Carini. The film marked Nazzari's first role as a lead actor, after making his film debut the ...
, which was completed in 1857. Construction of a third lighthouse on the northern coast at
Favàritx began in 1917, which was also designed by Serret.
[
]
Loss of the Général Chanzy
Named after the famous French general Antoine Chanzy
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy (18 March 18234 January 1883) was a French general, notable for his successes during the Franco-Prussian War and as a governor of Algeria.
Biography
Born in Nouart in the department of Ardennes, France, the son of ...
, the steamship was a packet boat that sailed a regular route from Marseille to Algiers, and was part of the CGT or French line. It left the French port of Marseille on the 9 February 1910, but was caught in a storm whilst passing through the Menorca straight.
Due to the poor conditions many passengers came on deck including Marcel Bodez[Also reported as Marcel Badez] a French customs clerk who was the only survivor. He jumped overboard wearing a lifejacket when the ship struck rocks, and witnessed the loss of the ship when it broke up as a result of the boilers exploding.[
Washed against the foot of a steep cliff, the injured Bodez found a cave in which to shelter as the flotsam from the wreck came ashore. By the next day the storm had subsided enough that he was able to climb the steep cliffs and made his way inland until he found a local islander. Unable to converse due to the language difference, he had to explain it through drawings using charcoal. He was then taken to the nearby town of ]Ciutadella __NOTOC__Ciutadella () is a common place name in Catalan-speaking areas.
Ciutadella de Menorca
* Ciutadella de Menorca, a municipality on Menorca
** Ciutadella de Menorca Cathedral
** Ciutadella Lighthouse
** Atlètic de Ciutadella, the city's ...
to recuperate, from where a recovery operation was initiated to retrieve the many bodies of those drowned in the disaster that had come ashore.[
]
Memorials
There are a number of memorials commemorating the loss of the General Chanzy, one is a simple cross on top of a cairn not far from the lighthouse.[
Located within the old cemetery in Ciutadella, is another more elaborate memorial. Completed in 1911, it features a large statue of an angel with a stone plaque depicting the ship. It was funded by donations from the people of Menorca and the CGT shipping company. In 1917, the remains of twelve unidentified victims were interred in the cemetery.][
A third memorial was built in the grounds of Chateau Danem, designed by the architect Georges Wybo it commemorates the loss of a number of French cabaret artists who were victims of the shipwreck.][
]
Operation
The lighthouse has a stone tower, flanked by two keepers’ houses, set within a walled compound. With a focal height of 42 metres above sea level, the light which displays a three plus one pattern of white flashes in 20 seconds has a nominal range of 18 nautical miles
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today t ...
.[
It marks the eastern side of the Menorca Channel, a ]strait
A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...
that separates Majorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
and Menorca.[ The rocky northern coast of Menorca has been the site of many shipwrecks, these losses continuing despite the construction of the Cavalleria Lighthouse in 1857.][ Although the loss of the General Chanzy was the spur for the lighthouse, other wrecks of that time included the ''Ville de Rome'' in 1898 and the ''Isaac Pereire'' in 1906, both of which also belonged to the CGT line.][
The lighthouse is operated and maintained by the ]Port Authority
In Canada and the United States, a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other t ...
of the Balearic Islands, and is registered under the international Admiralty number E0348 and has the NGA identifier of 113–5220.[
]
Location
The Camí de Cavalls
The Camí de Cavalls is an ancient path, in length, that encircles the island of Menorca, Spain. This Long-distance trail, long-distance walking route is the GR 223 of the GR footpath, Senderos de Gran Recorrido network in Spain that connects som ...
a long-distance footpath that circumnavigates the island, passes along the coast near to the lighthouse. It marks the end of the stage from Ciutadella and the start of the next section to Cala Morell.[ Close to where the path crosses the road to the lighthouse, a car park has been built. Visitors can then walk 1 km towards the lighthouse, although the tower and compound are not accessible to the public][
Adjacent to the lighthouse, overlooking the sea, is a cluster of defensive ]bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
s from the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, which have been constructed in the form of sheep refuges or barracas.[
File:Memorial General Chanzy - Ciutadella Cemetry.jpg, Général Chanzy Memorial in the old Ciutadella cemetery
File:E4 Búnquers i far de la punta d'en Nati (Ciutadella).JPG, View of the bunkers and lighthouse
File:Punta Nati Lighthouse (37377399362).jpg, Rear elevation view
File:Punta Nati Lighthouse (23556093088).jpg, Narrow road to the lighthouse
File:Cliff views (23556091528).jpg, Cliffs at the lighthouse
]
See also
* List of lighthouses in Spain
This is a list of lighthouses in Spain.
Lighthouses
By autonomous communities
* List of lighthouses in the Balearic Islands
* List of lighthouses in the Canary Islands
See also
* Lists of lighthouses and lightvessels
* List of tallest l ...
* List of lighthouses in the Balearic Islands
This is a list of lighthouses in the Balearic Islands. The Spain, Spanish archipelago lies at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea.
Lighthouses
See also
* List of lighthouses in Spain
* List of lighthouses in the Canary Islands
Refe ...
Notes
References
External links
Comisión de faros
Balearic Lighthouses
{{Authority control
Lighthouses in the Balearic Islands
Buildings and structures in Menorca
Lighthouses completed in 1911
1911 establishments in Spain