Giraglia
Giraglia is a French island at the northern tip of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, known for its powerful lighthouse[2] and for the Torra di Giraglia, a Genoese tower,[3] both of which are official historical monuments of France.[4][5]
 Giraglia Lighthouse | |
  Giraglia Lighthouse Cape Corse Corsica | |
| |
| Location | Giraglia Island, Corse France |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43.026804°N 9.405606°E |
| Year first constructed | 1848 |
| Construction | stone tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern centered on a keeper’s house |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, black balcony and lantern |
| Tower height | 25.80 metres (84.6 ft) |
| Focal height | 85.20 metres (279.5 ft) |
| Range | 26 nautical miles (48 km; 30 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 5s. |
| Admiralty number | E0852 |
| NGA number | 8100 |
| ARLHS number | E0852[1] |
The island is part of the commune of Ersa, but there are no settlements on the island. The closest settlements are Tollare, Ersa commune, and Barcaggio, Rogliano commune, on the main island of Corsica.[2][3]
The Lighthouse
The Giraglia Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located on Giraglia Island, about one mile off Barcaggio on the northernmost tip of Cape Corse. The lighthouse was first constructed in 1573 by the Genovese and has been rebuilt several times since.[4] The current lighthouse was approved in 1838 based on a proposal by Léonce Reynaud and was inaugurated on January 1, 1848. It consists of a cylindrical tower 25.80 metres (84.6 ft) high, with balcony and lantern, rising from the centre of the keeper's house. Initially the light was a flash every 30 seconds, but since 1904 it is a white flash every 5 seconds. The lighthouse is fully automated and controlled by the Marine nationale in Bastia.
Torra di Giraglia
Construction of this tower began in April 1584. It was one of a series of coastal defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to protect against attacks by Barbary pirates.
Giraglia Rolex Cup
The Giraglia Rolex Cup, an annual keelboat regatta, was named for the island. The race starts in St. Tropez, France, passes through the Îles d'Hyères off the French coast near Toulon, then around Giraglia, and finishes off in Genoa, Italy, a total distance of 243 nautical miles (450 km; 280 mi).[6]
Notes and references
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Corsica". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ll porticciolo di Barcaggio è di fronte all'isola della Giraglia, dove si trova uno dei più potenti fari del Mediterraneo. Noyoux, Vincent (2004). "Barcaggio". Corsica - Geoguide (in Italian). Milan, Italy: Touring Editore. p. 90. ISBN 978-88-365-2976-6.
- Abram, David (2009). The Rough Guide to Corsica (second ed.). London: Penguin. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-84836-051-8.
- "Monuments historiques: Phare de la Giraglia, sur l'île de la Giraglia" (in French). Ministère de la culture. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- "Monuments historiques: Tour de la Giraglia, sur l'île de la Giraglia" (in French). Ministère de la culture. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- "Giraglia Rolex Cup (". Les régates (in French). Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. Retrieved 21 January 2016.