July 29, 1882
São Thomé Lighthouse in the Brazilian municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes in what is now the state of Rio de Janeiro was officially inaugurated. At the time of this lighthouse’s debut, most of the territory comprising the present-day Federative Republic of Brazil was instead part of the Empire of Brazil.
São Thomé Lighthouse was designed by the French company Barbier & Fenestre, which based its plans on the work of Swedish engineer Nils Gustav von Heidenstam (1822-1887). Heidenstam’s innovative designs for lighthouses were characterized by the use of pull rods and tension bars to create durable iron frame structures. Construction on São Thomé Lighthouse began in 1877.
The inauguration of this lighthouse was held on July 29, 1882, to help commemorate the 36th birthday of Isabel, princess imperial of the Empire of Brazil. Isabel (1846-1921) was the eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II (1825-1891) and Empress Teresa Cristina (1822-1889). While acting as regent for her father during one of his extended trips abroad, Isabel made history by abolishing slavery in the empire.
São Thomé Lighthouse, measuring 148 feet (45 meters) in height, remains in operation today. This navigational aid is specifically located on Praia do Farol (Lighthouse Beach).
Photo Credit: Famacruz (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
Additional information on lighthouses in Brazil is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lighthouses_in_Brazil
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