In brief

Postcards show a harbor light at the foot of the Château de Brest. Jean-Christophe Fichou's inventory records first lighting on 1 December 1905, a 12 m stone turret with occulting white, red, and green sectors, electrification circa 1920–1924, and extinction in 1940 after a median was built in front.

Journey Map

Approximate historical position of the Feu du Château at la grève below the Château de Brest.

1. 1

   Grève du Château de BrestOrigin

   Postcards and patrimoine inventories show a harbor light on la grève below the Château de Brest.

Interactive Movement Timeline

1. c. 1900Originc. 1900 — Postcard documentation

   Postcards and patrimoine inventories show a harbor light on la grève below the Château de Brest.

   Evidence: 3 sourcesConfidence: high

   Place: Grève du Château de BrestObjects: Feu du Château de Brest harbor-light towerSources: Jean-Christophe Fichou lighthouse inventory (via Gaëlle Lardeux correspondence, 2026)
2. 1905-12-01Commissioning1905 — First lit

   Fichou inventory records first lighting on 1 December 1905: 12 m cylindrical stone turret, occulting every 4 seconds, white/red/green sectors.

   Evidence: 3 sourcesConfidence: high

   Place: Grève du Château de BrestObjects: Feu du Château de Brest harbor-light towerSources: Jean-Christophe Fichou lighthouse inventory (via Gaëlle Lardeux correspondence, 2026)
3. 1920–1924Modernisation1920–1924 — Electrification uncertain

   Persée records electrification in 1920; Fichou inventory cites 1924. Both dates remain open pending primary document review.

   Evidence: 2 sourcesConfidence: medium

   Place: Grève du Château de BrestObjects: Feu du Château de Brest harbor-light towerSources: La lumière électrique sur les côtes de France - Persée
4. 1940Loss1940 — Extinguished

   Fichou inventory records extinction in 1940 after median construction in front; port embankment works continued to transform the castle-foot shoreline.

   Evidence: 3 sourcesConfidence: medium

   Place: Grève du Château de BrestObjects: Feu du Château de Brest harbor-light towerSources: Jean-Christophe Fichou lighthouse inventory (via Gaëlle Lardeux correspondence, 2026)

Relationship Graph

This graph traces a vanished harbor-light structure: commissioning at the castle-foot grève in 1905, uncertain electrification, and extinction in 1940 after port transformation.

Evidence

Official and object-specific sources carry the strongest confidence; secondary sources are shown as corroborating context.

Source Baseline

• Château de Brest - Inventaire Général du Patrimoine Culturelheritage_register
• 3Fi089-090 - CHATEAU DE BREST - Wikimedia Commonsarchival_image
• 9Fi697 - vue stéréoscopique couleur du château - Wikimedia Commonsarchival_image
• La lumière électrique sur les côtes de France - Perséeacademic_reference
• Jetée ouest, port de commerce (Brest)heritage_register
• Brest castle lighthouse (Q113486771)wikidata
• Jean-Christophe Fichou lighthouse inventory (via Gaëlle Lardeux correspondence, 2026)research_correspondence

Identity Changes

• Operational harbor feuThe structure functioned as a localized port or harbor light at the Penfeld mouth, first lit 1 December 1905 on a 12 m cylindrical stone turret.
• Occulting sector lightFichou inventory records occulting every 4 seconds with white, red, and green sectors — pending verification against SHOM or FranceArchives primary lists.
• Electrified navigational lightPersée cites electrification in 1920; Fichou inventory cites 1924. LUX keeps both dates open until the primary inventory document is located.
• Extinguished structure / memory objectThe feu was extinguished in 1940 after median construction in front; visual memory survives in postcards and inventories.

Current Status

• The harbor-light tower is modeled as absent at the historic grève position.
• Postcard 3Fi089_090 remains the primary publishable visual anchor (CC BY-SA 4.0).
• Commissioning (1 December 1905) and extinction (1940) are recorded via Fichou inventory relayed by Gaëlle Lardeux correspondence; electrification year remains uncertain between Persée (1920) and Fichou (1924).

Open Questions

Research still in progress — these do not affect accepted relationships above.

• Locate the primary Jean-Christophe Fichou inventory document or SHOM navigation-list entry to verify light characteristics and reconcile Persée 1920 vs Fichou 1924 electrification dates.
• Determine whether the tower sat on Vauban's masonry spur or a later 19th-century platform.