Fortaleza del Cerro Lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse in Villa del Cerro, Uruguay.
The Fortaleza del Cerro Lighthouse is a circular masonry tower 8 metres tall, topped by a dome and set on a building above the Fortaleza General Artigas. It rises 148 metres above the entrance to the port of Montevideo, and its light reaches 19.2 nautical miles with one flash every ten seconds.
In September 1799 the Spanish court ordered a lantern built on the Cerro de Montevideo; it was first lit on 4 April 1802. In 1809 a fortification was begun around it to protect the light from attack. The lighting was electrified in 1942, replacing kerosene vapour lamps with a 1500 W incandescent lamp.
The lighthouse stands on the summit of the Cerro de Montevideo, above the Fortaleza General Artigas. The Spanish court decided in September 1799 to install a lantern there, and it was first lit on 4 April 1802. On 24 June 2000, Uruguay's postal service issued a stamp (code 2000-13-C, value 36 pesos) depicting the lighthouse.
The site is located on a hill in the Villa del Cerro neighborhood and is accessible by public transportation. Visitors can walk around the fortress complex and view the lighthouse from different angles around the hilltop.
The lighthouse's light reaches 19.2 nautical miles, with one flash every ten seconds. On 24 June 2000 Uruguay's postal service issued a 36-peso stamp, code 2000-13-C, showing the tower.
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