World Heritage Identification Number: 1312
World Heritage since: 2009
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇪🇸 Spain
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Tower of Hercules: An Enduring Symbol of Antiquity and Navigation
The Tower of Hercules, situated on a peninsula approximately 2.4 kilometers from the heart of A Coruña, Galicia, in northwestern Spain, stands as a testament to the ingenuity and architectural prowess of the ancient Romans. This monumental structure, completed in the 1st century AD, holds the distinction of being the oldest known extant Roman lighthouse. Known historically as the Farum Brigantium, the tower's name was later changed to its current moniker in honor of the mythological Greek hero, Heracles, or Hercules, whose statue once adorned the top of the structure.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 metres, of which 34 metres correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules, which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity.
Encyclopedia Record: Tower of Hercules
The Tower of Hercules is the oldest known extant Roman lighthouse. Built in the 1st century, the tower is located on a peninsula about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the center of A Coruña, Galicia, in northwestern Spain. Until the 20th century, it was known as the Farum Brigantium. The Latin word farum is derived from the Greek Φάρος, Pharos, for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The structure stands 55 metres (180 ft) tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. The tower was renovated in 1791.Additional Site Details
Area: 233 hectares
Coordinates: 43.3858333333 , -8.4063888889
Image
© Fernando, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
