São Lourenço lighthouse

As is well known, the ship that João Gonçalves Zarco commanded at the discovery of Madeira was called the São Lourenço, and when he first approached that tongue of land he gave it the name of the caravel that carried him. The tip of this point, or rather a small isolated rock lying opposite it, was always considered the most suitable site for a lighthouse, since its light would reach a considerable part of the north and south of the island, as well as the crossing that separates Madeira from Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’). This rock is an islet next to the point, from which it is separated by a narrow channel navigable only by small vessels.

In 1867 the final plan and estimate for the works on this lighthouse were drawn up. Construction of the keeper’s house and its outbuildings began in 1868 and was completed early in 1870.

The lighthouse is dioptric, or lenticular, of the second order. It emits a white light with intermittent flashes every 30 seconds and can be seen 25 miles away. It was built by the French firm Saulter, and the engineer Charles Trepardoux came to install it. Its cost, including transport and installation, was 8,370.00 escudos (the Portuguese currency from 1911: 1 escudo = 100 centavos = 1,000 réis).

The lantern stands 140 metres above sea level and lies at 32° 41′ north latitude and 16° 39′ west longitude from the Greenwich observatory.

It came into service, lighting those waters for the first time, on 30 September 1870.

A great public need had been met. Complaints from shipping had been constant, and claims for compensation had even been made for damage caused to many vessels. Several ships were wrecked in those waters, most notably the Forerunner, which ran aground in October 1854.