Name and Location

The Phare des Sanguinaires, also known as u Fanali, is a 19-meter-high lighthouse located on the highest islet of the Îles Sanguinaires archipelago, off the Pointe de la Parata, about 5 kilometers west of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, France.

Construction and History

The Phare des Sanguinaires was constructed in the mid-19th century and was lit for the first time in 1844. The lighthouse was designed by the corps des Ponts et Chaussées, but the exact name of the engineer is not documented. The structure is made of local red granite masonry with a square-plan keeper's house and a cylindrical tower topped by a lantern and gallery painted white.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a height of 19 meters above the top of the rock, and its focal plane is approximately 99 meters above sea level. The light characteristic is a group of three white flashes every 15 seconds. The nominal range of the light is 20 nautical miles in clear conditions.

Light and Navigation

The Phare des Sanguinaires serves as an active aid to navigation for vessel traffic entering and leaving the Gulf of Ajaccio. It is equipped with a third-order Fresnel lens and is fully automated and remotely monitored since the 1980s.

Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the lighthouse tower, but it is closed to the public. The keeper's dwelling is now empty and not open. Visitors can take boat excursions daily from Ajaccio harbor (early spring-late autumn) to visit the islands. Landing is permitted under supervision of the nature reserve warden.

Notable Views and Landscape

Anecdotes and Folklore

The name "Sanguinaires" has inspired local legend: at sunset, the islets appear blood-red, as if stained by ancient battles between pirates and the Genoese. Prior to the lighthouse, numerous small coastal vessels foundered on the reefs; one of the worst recorded was in 1839, prompting plans for the light.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by the Service des phares et balises – Ministère de la Transition écologique et de la Mer. It is operational and serves as an aid to navigation for vessel traffic entering and leaving the Gulf of Ajaccio.