The Lighthouse of Ponta dos Capelinhos, or alternately Lighthouse of Capelinhos, is a former beacon/lighthouse located along the coastal peninsula of Ponta dos Capelinhos and Costa Nau, in the civil parish of Capelo, on the island of Faial in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Constructed in the late 19th century, it is an iconic symbol on the island, for the eruption of Capelinhos volcano, which occurred in 1957-58.
History
Work on the lighthouse began on 18 April 1894, but for many years the necessity of constructing a beacon on the tip of Faial had been advocated by navigators, officials and public opinion, who: " complained to the Government that some lights were need along the islands coast to indicate to navigation that crossed these waters their proximity to land, the loss that occur or the choices to make." The number of incidents in this region reached a grande scale by the end of the 19th century, with more traffic, but records went as far back as 1678. In the second half of the 19th century, more specifically 1883 and 1884, presentations had been made the Faialense Sociedade de Geografia and Municipal Council, presided by João José da Graça, to establish two lighthouses on the island. Still within this decade, Progressive deputy Miguel António da Silveira received authorization that the construction of the first of these lighthouses would be undertaken, but there were no promises or timelines. What is certain, is that a Lighthouse Commission did study the elaboration of a "illumination plan" for the archipelago. But, this commission had gotten bogged-down in the issues of budget, changes in government and lack of political will. In the local newspaper, opinions from the Portuguese marines, José de Almeida de Ávila and Domingos Tasso de Figuerido were bantered about. These considerations, along with the Lighthouse Commission proposal were presented in May 1892 to the Ministry of Public Works, and a decision to invest 15 contos de reis was released in April 1894. Elections, on 29 April of the same year, saw Progressive candidates attack the Regenerator plans of José de Almeida de Ávila, stating that "shortly the fiasco of the works on the lighthouse of Capelinhos. After starting the election on 29th day, summer quickly ends the work." Although government candidates were defeated the work continued, and the lighthouse eventually inaugurated on 1 August 1903. The work necessary to begin constructing a lighthouse began on 1 April 1894.; By July 1903 the edifice was in a state of completion.
Capelinhos
On 10 October 1957, during a period of repairs by the Directorate for Public Works, for the district of Horta, under the supervision of the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais and Direcção dos Serviços de Conservação, the director of the Directorate informed by telegraph the suspension of activities due to the eruption of the Capelinhos volcano. The first report by directing engineer of Public Works occurred on 7 November 1957, to the director of the DGEMN, over the impact of the eruption on the lighthouse. Included in the report was a unique moment in the contemporary history of the archipelago: Owing to the eruption of the Capelinhos volcano the lighthouse ceased to operate on 29 November 1957. On 30 April 1958, a new report by Frederico de Menezes Avelino Machado, accompanied by seven photographic entries, in which he described what had occurred since the last report:
