Luminosity squared - a photo on Flickriver

Luminosity squared

            The harbour entrance of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Bay of Biscay with the Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, seen from Ciboure, Pays Basque Region, France

Some background information:

Ciboure and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are neighbouring harbour towns, which are just seperated by the Nivelle River that pours into the Bay of Biscay at this point. Ciboure has more than 6,200 while Saint-Jean-de-Luz has even more than 14,000 residents. Both towns are located in the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in southwestern France, about 20 km (12.5 miles) to the southwest of the city of Bayonne. The Spanish border is only 10 km (6.2 miles) away and the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastian is situated about 30 km (18.6 miles) to the southwest of Ciboure and Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

The Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a lighthouse at the harbour entrance of the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is joined by a second lighthouse, the Phare de Ciboure, which is located in a slightly relegated position just about 100 metres away from the first one. Although both lighthouses look a bit different, they are quite similar and hence more or less twins. Both were even planned by the same architect, André Pavlovsky. But I have no idea, why two lighthouses should have been necessary at one and the same spot.

Both lighthouses, the Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz in my picture and the Phare de Ciboure were completed in 1936 and are listed as French national historic monuments ("monuments historiques") since 1993. The lighthouses are both painted white, but while the Phare de Ciboure has also some green painted elements, some elements of the Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz are painted red. By the way, it’s quite noteworthy that both lighthouses were planned by an architect, because until that time lighthouses were usually designed by lighthouse engineers. 

With their quadratic layout the lighthouses of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure have a completely different aesthetics than the traditionally designed, usually round lighthouses. Their quadratic structure allowed the building of gable walls and ridged roofs, which are covered with roofing tiles. 

The Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz has an elevation of 28 metres above sea level. It is equipped with two lights, one at 17.5 metres above sea level and another one at 27 metres above sea level. They have a coverage of 20 nautical miles and at night generate two green flashes in sync every six seconds.

The former wealth of the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is associated with both fishing and its own Basque corsaires resp. pirates, who used to capture many trading vessels. In the 16th and 17th centuries, English sailors even called Saint-Jean-de-Luz the "Viper's Nest". 

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is known for its royal wedding connection. In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees between France and Spain was signed, one clause of which was the marriage of Louis XIV to Maria Theresa, the Infanta of Spain. Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its church were chosen to host the royal wedding in 1660. The marriage is one of the most important political marriages in history that brought an end to a bitter war.

Today, visitors of the cathedral can see that the main door is bricked off. Two legends circulate this oddity: First, it has been said that the door the couple passed through was later closed to represent the closing of the troubles between France and Spain. A more popular theory among the locals is that the king, Louis XIV, ordered the door to be closed off, so no other couple could walk into the church to be married in his footsteps.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Saint-Jean-de-Luz became a popular beachside resort town for the surrounding high-society. Like Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz was particularly appreciated by the French and Spanish aristocracy. The French composer Maurice Ravel, a native of Ciboure, frequently vacationed at Saint-Jean-de-Luz from Paris, where he was centered for almost his entire life.

While we were exploring the region we stayed at a little boutique hotel directly at Ciboure’s seaside promenade, nearby the town’s lighthouse Phare de Ciboure. It was a very pleasant stay and I can highly recommend Ciboure or Saint-Jean-de-Luz as a basis for your trips in the Basque country. The Atlantic Ocean, the Pyrenees and also Spain are so near.

Taken in: France / Nouvelle-Aquitaine / Arrondissement de Bayonne / Ciboure (show map)

Taken on: September 24, 2019

Tags:

Europe

Frankreich

Ciboure

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Basque Corniche

Corniche Basque

Basque Coast Trail

Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Bayonne

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französisch

southern France

Südfrankreich

Basque country

Basque region

país Vasco

Euskal Herria

Baskenland

lighthouse

phare

Leuchtturm

Phare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz

town

Stadt

harbour town

harbor town

Hafenstadt

harbour

harbor

port

Hafen

harbour entrance

harbor entrance

Hafeneinfahrt

building

Gebäude

coast

Küste

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atlantischer Ozean

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2019 « less

Sets appears in: • "Tour de France" + San Sebastian, Spain 2019 • Buildings - France more » • Seasides « less

Groups appears in: • France • LIGHTHOUSE LOVERS more » • France image • Beside the seaside, besides the sea ... • European Vacation • EuskalHerria • lighthouses //// faros • Regions of France / La France des Régions • Sea and shores • Villages and small towns of the world • Harbors around the world • Maritime (anything sea related from all around the globe) • * Images de France * (France-Corse-DOM-TOM-COM) • Lighthouse Trek • Villages et petites villes d'Europe • "History & Antiquities (Post 5 - Award 3)" • Baugeschichte "History of Architecture" • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • The concept is Europe • buildings are beautiful • Basque Country • ₪ HISTORY & MYSTERY Society ₪ Add 1 | Award 3 • Harbours in Europe • A World of Lighthouses (No 30/60 Limit) « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, f/4.5, 1/400 sec, 23mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
Lens:	5.0-100.0 mm
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	23mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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