Mucuripe Lighthouse
Posted by: 
manchanegra
S 03° 42.470 W 038° 28.230
24M E 558798 N 9590150
The old Mucuripe Lighthouse in Fortaleza, Brazil, was builted in a Barroque style by slaves between 1827 and 1846.
It´s one of the Oldest buldings in Fortaleza.
Waymark Code: WMWHF
Location: Ceará, Brazil
Date Posted: 10/27/2006
Views: 20
Even if the constrution started in 1827, the Mucuripe Lighthouse with it´s octogonal tower was only inaugurated in 1846. It had a lantern with eight lamps (probably working with petrol) with a steady white light visible at a distance of 10 Miles.
Twenty years later the lighthouse was in a very bad condition and didn´t serve it´s purposes anymore. In 1869 a fire destroied the tower and the lantern. A few months after this incident the lantern and part of the tower were recovered, but, still wasn´t enough.
The project to reconstrut the lighthouse was handed to the Noble and Knight of the Imperial House Zózimo Barroso that had studied in London and had a degree in Mathematics and Phisical Ciences. He was working with the Province of Ceará government and was hired by the navy to return to London and order 9 complete lighthouses for Brazil (one of them was this one) with casting iron towers, lanterns and dioptrioc optical devices.
The lighthouse was then rebuilt using the old tower. The new lighthouse was inaugurated in 29 July 1872. It had a white light with a 10 miles range.
It worked for 85 years and was deactivated in 1957 when it was replaced by a new one 3 kms away.
The "Old Eye of the Sea" (Velho Olho do Mar in Portuguese) as he was known is one of the oldest buildings in Fortaleza and is now the Lighthouse Museum.
It´s one of the niceste touristic spots in town even if it has a slum quarter (favela) right next to it.
The given coordinates will take you to the stairs of the lighthouse located in the Avenida Vicente de Castro (Avenue).
A note about safety.
Fortaleza was a safe city when we were there and we believe that it still is if you take the proper precautions. Please ask your hotels for what precautions you should take like dont show any exterior signs of wealth and using casual clothes like the locals.
Coastal Lighthouse: Lighthouse
Range Lights: Not listed
LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE VISIT: Not listed
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