Tower of Hercules

The Tower of Hercules was built in the first or second century AD on a headland guarding the approach to A Coruna, and it is the only Roman lighthouse still in operation anywhere, working continuously since antiquity apart from periods of neglect. The Roman core survives inside a neoclassical casing added between 1788 and 1791 by the engineer Eustaquio Giannini, who encased the crumbling original in a square outer shell and added a new upper stage, taking it to fifty-five metres. An inscription at the base names the Roman architect, Caius Sevius Lupus. UNESCO listed it in 2009. Around it stretches a headland park with a sculpture trail, Celtic-themed monuments and a rock carving site.

History

The lighthouse stood by the 1st century and was built or rebuilt under Trajan, its design probably modelled on the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and a stone at its base names the architect Gaius Sevius Lupus of Aeminium, today's Coimbra, dedicating it to Mars; the Roman tower was shorter and wider, wrapped by a spiral ramp whose line still shows on the outside. Paulus Orosius described it around 415-417 as a very tall lighthouse at Brigantia looking towards Britain, and it was known as Farum Brigantium until the 20th century. In the 18th century the naval engineer Eustaquio Giannini restored the 34-metre Roman core and added a 21-metre top storey, a restoration UNESCO calls exemplary, and on 27 June 2009 it became a World Heritage Site, the only fully preserved Roman lighthouse still in use (Wikipedia, Tower of Hercules).

What you'll find

• The Roman core - original masonry inside the eighteenth-century casing.
• The neoclassical shell - a 1791 outer skin and upper stage.
• The founder's inscription - the Roman architect named at the base.
• The headland park - a sculpture trail and coastal walk around the tower.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the tower can be climbed, with 234 steps to the top, and closes in high wind. Galicia is wet year-round and the headland is exposed.

Practical notes

Almost nothing Roman is visible from outside, since the eighteenth-century casing covers it entirely; the original masonry is seen in a section inside. The climb is a narrow stair of 234 steps. Wind on the headland is strong.

Nearby

A Coruna's old town and glass-fronted seafront are south; the Costa da Morte runs west.

Key facts