Tower of Hercules

Tower of Hercules
Native names
View from the south-east in 2023.
LocationA Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Coordinates43°23′9″N 8°24′23″W / 43.38583°N 8.40639°W / 43.38583; -8.40639
Elevation57 metres (187 ft)
Built1st century AD
Visitors149,440[1] (in 2009)
Governing bodyMinistry of Culture
Official nameTower of Hercules
TypeCultural
Criteriaiii
Designated2009 (33rd session)
Reference no.1312
RegionEurope and North America
Official nameTorre de Hércules
TypeRoyal property
CriteriaMonument
Designated3 June 1931
Reference no.(R.I.) - 51 - 0000540 - 00000
Tower of Hercules is located in Galicia
Tower of Hercules
Site of the Tower of Hercules in Galicia
Tower of Hercules is located in Spain
Tower of Hercules
Tower of Hercules (Spain)

The Tower of Hercules (Galician: Torre de Hércules, Spanish: Torre de Hércules) 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.[2] 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.

There is a sculpture garden on the grounds of the lighthouse featuring works by Pablo Serrano and Francisco Leiro [es].[3] The Tower of Hercules is a National Monument of Spain and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 27 June 2009.[2] It is the second-tallest lighthouse in Spain, after the Faro de Chipiona.

  1. ^ "As visitas á Torre de Hércules incrementáronse en 20.000 persoas durante o ano pasado" [Visits to the Tower of Hércules have grown in 20.000 people during last year]. www.torredeherculesacoruna.com (in Spanish). January 4, 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b UNESCO website, of Hercules
  3. ^ Thomas Baldwin (1847). "Tower%20of%20Hercules"&pg=PA169 A Universal Pronouncing Gazetteer ... Lindsay & Blakiston. p. 169.[failed verification]