The recognition of the Cordouan lighthouse as a part of French heritage and an in-depth knowledge of how it was designed and subsequently built and maintained over the centuries owes much to one scholar who was passionate about history – René Faille. After extensive research in archives around the world, note-taking and photography, in 1974 René Faille published a volume that, to this day, remains the reference on Cordouan: Les trois plus anciens phares de France: Cordouan, Les Baleines, Chassiron. This work is unfortunately out of print. In addition to detailed analysis of the conditions under which the three lighthouses were built and maintained, the work reproduces many crucial original documents that provide a solid knowledge of these buildings, as well as including an extensive bibliography. A second edition of this work, brought out in 1993, includes more recent developments concerning the lighthouse, as well as numerous colour reproductions, and is still in print. In 1984 René Faille agreed to oversee a catalogue and exhibition dedicated to the Cordouan lighthouse. These were planned to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of the signing of the original construction contract, which was awarded in 1584 to Louis de Foix. Faille was also the pivotal figure behind a stamp bearing images of Cordouan, which was issued by the French Postal service, as well as a commemorative medallion created for the occasion by the Monnaie de Paris. A tireless advocate of Cordouan, he has promoted the lighthouse in numerous French and international journals, particularly in Japan.
