LEADING LIGHT
The physicist was Augustin Fresnel – and the best way to appreciate the brilliance of his invention is to visit the magnificent 500-year-old Phare de Cordouan lighthouse on France’s west coast, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary, about 100km north of Bordeaux.
While it’s an architectural and historical marvel in its own right (it’s currently being considered for UNESCO Heritage Site status), its place in history was assured because it became the world’s first lighthouse to receive Fresnel’s invention, and the
