Planier Light, Lighthouse on Planier Island, Marseille, France
Planier Light is a stone lighthouse standing on a small rocky island near Marseille. The tower rises above the sea and serves maritime navigation in the Mediterranean.
An early structure was built in the 14th century as a navigation aid for ships. The current building was constructed after damage during the Second World War.
The island's barely submerged reefs caused many shipwrecks, among them the Chaouen, and the heavy traffic of Marseille drove the building of ever taller towers here. In 2012 the lighthouse, its annexes and the whole island of Planier were classified as historical monuments. The tower was also featured among 30 lighthouses for the 30th anniversary of the TV programme Thalassa, with Florence Arthaud as its patron.
The island lies 13 km from Marseille and can only be reached by boat; both the island site and the tower are closed to the public. The light is partially obscured, so it is best seen from the water. The tower stands 66 m tall, the twelfth-tallest traditional lighthouse in the world.
The lighthouse was automated in 1986, and the diving centre that had used its annexe buildings left in 1998. Since then, plans for artists' flats, a teaching centre, a diving hostel and a research station have been floated, but none has moved beyond the idea stage.
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