Lighthouse of Bugio

Located at the Cabeça Seca sandbank, the intention to build, on that site, a fortification for the Tejo river shoal — to protect the maritime access to Lisbon — is an old one. It is within this context that the project for the Fort of São Lourenço da Cabeça Seca or Bugio — one of the most relevant examples of Portuguese mannerist military architecture — originated. The prominence of the lighthouse, rising well above the built ensemble, contrasts with the constructive simplicity of the fort. Crucial to fulfilling the lookout function, during the day, and the lighthouse function, during the night, the Tower of Bugio has a circular structure, with two levels, and a façade marked by basic openings. The 14-metre high lighthouse is a remarkable structure, whether seen from the shore or the sea, where its light, at an altitude of 28 metres above sea level, started off with a reach of 9 miles. Technological progress allowed for the evolution of the structure and, in 1959, the lighthouse becomes electrified. From then on, a series of updates, such as the implementation of the remote system, eliminate, by 1982, the need to have a permanent lighthouse keeper living in the infrastructure.