La Camargue delta

La Camargue is a delta formed by the deposits of the Rhône River over centuries, creating a unique landscape shaped by water and sediment.

Faraman lighthouse destroyed by sea

A 36.50-meter-high lighthouse at Faraman, near Arles, was destroyed by the sea. The French government rebuilt it in 1892, 1,200 meters inland from the original site.

Coastal erosion over decades

Between 1835 and 1864, the land under the lighthouse’s base eroded from 675 meters to 190 meters. This rapid loss of land forced the relocation of the lighthouse to a safer position.

Lighthouse construction timeline

The first light at Faraman was lit on November 1, 1830, on a temporary wooden tower. A more permanent 36.50-meter tower was built in 1840, but it was only ten years before the site was already too close to the sea.

Erosion rates and measurements

From 1835 to 1841, the coastline receded 255 meters in six years, an average of over 40 meters annually. By 1864, the shore was only 190 meters from the tower, a distance that made the structure increasingly vulnerable to the sea.

Rebuilding after the 1864 retreat

A new lighthouse was planned after the 1864 erosion, but construction did not start until 1889, nearly 25 years later. The new tower was built 1,200 meters inland, more than six times the distance the sea had taken from the original site.

Modern lighthouse and its history

The current lighthouse, built in 1892, stands 43.30 meters high and has operated for over 130 years. It was electrified in 1972 and automated in 1999, with the last keeper leaving in 2004.

Historic recognition and legacy

The lighthouse was listed as a historic monument in 2012. A 1917 photograph shows the ruins of the original tower 150 meters out at sea, confirming that its site had been submerged by 1917, 77 years after it was first lit.