The Lantern Tower

The Tower of the Lanterne, in La Rochelle

The Tower of the Lanterne is the third of the great towers of La Rochelle, the oldest lighthouse of the Atlantic coast, recognisable by its high Gothic spire. The La Rochelle audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this tower of the fifteenth century, become a prison, whose walls keep more than five hundred graffiti engraved by the captive sailors over the centuries.

The lighthouse-prison with a thousand graffiti

Of a surprising whiteness, the Tower of the Lanterne is the oldest lighthouse of the Atlantic coast. Endowed with a lantern, that gave it its name, and a great slender Gothic spire, unique among the three towers, it allowed the sailors to find their bearings from afar and guided them to the port, where the two other towers welcomed them. But its vocation as a lighthouse lasted only a time. From the fifteenth century, it served as a prison, where the sailors captured at sea, the corsairs, the foreign soldiers and later the prisoners of war were detained. These men, sometimes locked up for years, left on the walls the moving traces of their passage: still today, the tower contains more than five hundred graffiti engraved in the stone since the fifteenth century, among which true works of art. You see there finely drawn boats, names, dates, scenes of maritime life, poignant testimonies of these captives who dreamed of the sea and freedom. It is what makes all the singularity and the emotion of the place. If you listen to the inhabitants, you will no doubt hear the tower nicknamed the Tower of the Four Sergeants, in memory of four young soldiers who were locked up there in the nineteenth century. From the top, after the climb of the staircase, you discover a splendid panorama over the ocean and the town. A medieval lighthouse and a tower with graffiti, the Tower of the Lanterne is a fine stop of the discovery of La Rochelle.

What to see

Here you discover the oldest lighthouse of the Atlantic coast, recognisable by its high Gothic spire, that formerly guided the sailors to the port; become a prison from the fifteenth century, the tower keeps on its walls more than five hundred graffiti engraved by the captives, boats, names and maritime scenes, and offers from the top a splendid panorama over the ocean and the town. The Tower of the Lanterne is an emblematic tower of La Rochelle. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Tower of the Lanterne lies on the seafront of La Rochelle, at the end of the Rue sur les Murs, reachable on foot. It follows its own days and opening hours, variable, and the visit is generally subject to a fee, often offered in a combined formula with the other towers. It is best to enquire before coming.

Why is the Tower of the Lanterne of La Rochelle famous?

Because it is the oldest lighthouse of the Atlantic coast, recognisable by its high Gothic spire, that guided the sailors to the port; become a prison from the fifteenth century, it keeps on its walls more than five hundred graffiti engraved by the captives, boats, names and maritime scenes, and offers from the top a splendid panorama.

Where is the Tower of the Lanterne in La Rochelle?

On the seafront of La Rochelle, at the end of the Rue sur les Murs, in France.