Faro de Lucrecia, a Century and a Half of Existence
- Written by Rosana Rivero Ricardo
- Published in Opinion
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In September 2008, the Lighthouse “Faro de Lucrecia” became news again. Stoic, irremovable, it withstood the strong winds of hurricane Ike which made landfall near Cabo Lucrecia, in the municipality of Banes, Holguin province. There, close to the Atlantic coast, in the area known as "the cemetery of the living,” the lighthouse makes way defying time.
The rock that served as construction material was obtained from a quarry located about two kilometers away. For its transfer, it was made a rustic railroad pulled by oxen and slaves, who were used as main workforce during the Spanish metropolis on the Island.
Slave work made possible the construction of the 21 feet of the Lighthouse's masonry tower and its octagonal base of approximately 11 feet. Its 218 cast iron steps remind that its origin was related to a long list of naval disasters. It is known that the last brig that ran such black luck was the "Thomis" in December 1856. It was then that the Captain General of the Island, Jose Gutierrez de la Concha, decided to build El Faro.
The plans for the work began in 1858, by the Commander of Engineers Saturnino Ruedas. In 1863 the construction of the tower began, first under the direction of Cesar del Llano and Lamar, a Spanish engineer. Later the work was entrusted to his countryman and colleague Restituto Blancaflor.
History records show that its construction costed 167 thousand 805 pesetas. The lamppost and the machine were manufactured in France.
This year 2019 was celebrated the International Weekend of the Lighthouses and Radio Beacons, with broadcasts from different parts of the world. The event aimed to promote the conservation of lighthouses as guardians of maritime navigation.
For this edition it was chosen, once again, the protagonist of this story, considered one of the 100 most important in the world.