Farol de Vila Real de Santo António

The General Lighting Plan of 1866, by Commander Francisco Maria Pereira da Silva, proposed a lighthouse on the right bank of the Guadiana River. Construction began in 1916, and it became operational on January 23rd, 1923, with a large third-order Fresnel lens (500 mm focal length), rotated by clockwork and lit by petroleum vapor incandescence. In 1927, it was electrified with a generator set using petroleum, and a 3000-watt lamp was installed. In 1947, it was connected to the public grid, replacing the clockwork with electric motors. An elevator was added in 1957, and alternators replaced DC generators in 1960. In 1983, lamp power was reduced to 1000 watts. Automation followed in 1989 using the Direção Faróis system. The lighthouse has undergone continuous modernization while preserving its historical significance.