Tower of Hercules
Perched on a small headland above the sea in A Coruña, Galicia, the Tower of Hercules is the world's only Roman lighthouse still in active use — and the oldest lighthouse of any kind still standing. The tower stands 55 metres tall in total and dates to the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, when it was known by its Latin name Farum Brigantium. The exterior walls you see today are the result of a neoclassical renovation in the 18th century, but the Roman core remains intact within. At its base, legend entwines the tower with Hercules' defeat of the giant Geryon, and an open-air sculpture park spreads across the surrounding grounds. In 2009, UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List. Climb the interior staircase and each stone step carries nearly two thousand years of seafaring memory.
Spain · 2 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Tower of Hercules
The straight stone shaft in front of you wears an 18th-century neoclassical face — but that is just a shell. Inside it, a Roman lighthouse core has been standing for nearly two thousand years. The tower reaches 55 metres and the staircase climbs 239 steps to the top. This is not a replica or a ruin: it is the only Roman lighthouse in the world still operating as a working aid to navigation. Out at sea, its beam flashes four times every 20 seconds, carrying up to 24 nautical miles — roughly 44 kilometres — across the open Atlantic.
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
Torre de Hércules on coins
The Tower of Hercules has been stamped onto Spanish coins, leaving a tangible metal record. The most notable example is a 10-peseta commemorative coin issued in 1996 by the Royal Mint of Spain in Madrid, marking the 75th anniversary of the death of writer Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921). The obverse shows her left-facing portrait; the reverse depicts the silhouette of the tower against the A Coruña harbour, with "ESPAÑA" and "10 PESETAS" inscribed. The coin is copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel), 18.5 mm in diameter, with a mintage of 1,060,000. It was withdrawn from circulation on 28 February 2002 when the peseta gave way to the euro, and is now a relatively scarce find on the collector's market.
Sources: en.numista.com · en.numista.com · catalogodemonedas.es
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