El Semàfor, Cultural heritage site in El Prat de Llobregat, Spain.
El Semàfor is a rectangular structure with a central watchtower standing just above sea level near the Mediterranean coast in this delta town. The building contains an underground cistern that collected rainwater to supply those who worked there.
This signal house was built in the late 1800s to regulate coastal shipping traffic using optical telegraph technology. It exchanged messages with Montjuic Castle, helping to guide Mediterranean navigation during this era of maritime expansion.
The building served as a vital link between land and sea, where workers used signals daily to communicate with passing ships. The delta surroundings shaped the daily lives and routines of those who worked and lived here.
The site sits in a flat delta landscape, making the area easy to walk around with level ground throughout. Visitors should bring sun protection as the surroundings have limited shade and the heat can be intense during warmer months.
The first documented workers in 1897 endured difficult sanitary conditions and frequent malaria cases in this delta region. This disease was a major hardship for those who operated and maintained the signal station.
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