| Tower of Hercules | |
|---|---|
| Native names Galician: Torre de Hércules, Faro Bregancio Spanish: Torre de Hércules | |
 View from the south-east in 2023. | |
| Location | A Coruña, Galicia, Spain |
| Coordinates | 43°23′9″N 8°24′23″W / 43.38583°N 8.40639°W |
| Elevation | 57 metres (187 ft) |
| Built | 1st century AD |
| Visitors | 149,440[1] (in 2009) |
| Governing body | Ministry of Culture |
| Official name | Tower of Hercules |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii |
| Designated | 2009 (33rd session) |
| Reference no. | 1312 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Official name | Torre de Hércules |
| Type | Royal property |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 3 June 1931 |
| Reference no. | (R.I.) - 51 - 0000540 - 00000 |
  Site of the Tower of Hercules in Galicia | |
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.[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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b UNESCO website, of Hercules
- ^ Thomas Baldwin (1847). "Tower%20of%20Hercules"&pg=PA169 A Universal Pronouncing Gazetteer ... Lindsay & Blakiston. p. 169.[failed verification]