Cordouan Lighthouse
Cultural
1625
2021
Cultural
Cordouan Lighthouse is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural, inscribed in 2021 (WHS 1625).
Criteria & Perimeter
Inscription criteria
(i)(iv)
Category
Cultural
Summary
The Lighthouse of Cordouan rises up on a shallow rocky plateau in the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Gironde estuary in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in a highly exposed and hostile environment. Built in white limestone dressed blocks at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, it was designed by engineer Louis de Foix and remodelled by engineer Joseph Teulère in the late 18th century. A masterpiece of maritime signalling, Cordouan’s monumental tower is decorated with pilasters, columns modillions and gargoyles. It embodies the great stages of the architectural and technological history of lighthouses and was built with the ambition of continuing the tradition of famous beacons of antiquity, illustrating the art of building lighthouses in a period of renewed navigation, when beacons played an important role as territorial markers and as instruments of safety. Finally, the increase of its height, in the late 18th century, and the changes to its light chamber, attest to the progress of science and technology of the period. Its architectural forms drew inspiration from ancient models, Renaissance Mannerism and the specific architectural language of France’s engineering school École des Ponts et Chaussées.
Monuments in the Zone
Selection of protected monuments
- Moulin à vent dit Moulin de Gaillardin — Chapelon
- Hôtel Tassin de Villiers — Orléans
- Ancienne église paroissiale Saint-Alman de Quincé — Brissac-Quincé
- Dolmen du Ver de Tavers — Tavers
- Tour de la Haute-Chaîne — Angers
- Eglise Saint-Martin de Seigy — Seigy
- Eglise Saint-Martin de Restigné — Restigné
- Logis du Carrefour de Épineu-le-Chevreuil — Épineu-le-Chevreuil
- Eglise paroissiale Saint-Blaise — Bonchamp-lès-Laval
- Prieuré de la Jaillette (ancien) — Louvaines
- Cathédrale Saint-Maurice — Angers
- Château de Boistissandeau — Les Herbiers
- Eglise paroissiale Saint-Martin — La Roche-Clermault
- Château du Plessis-Bourré — Ecuillé
- Croix des Douleurs de Batz-sur-Mer — Batz-sur-Mer
Appellations of the Landscape
Most-reviewed Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.