- La Coruna Roman Lighthouse is located at La Coruna in Galicia, North Western Spain and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- It was known to the Romans as the ‘Farum Brigantium’ and also as the ‘The Tower of Hercules’, and is the oldest lighthouse in use today.
History
- The lighthouse was built in the 1st century CE during the reign of Trajan (98-117 CE), by Caio Sevio Lupo.
- He was a Roman from Aemininensis (Coimbra) in Lusitania, whose name is inscribed at the base of the structure in Latin:
- ‘MARTI AUG.SACR C.SEVIVS LUPUS ARCHTECTUS AEMINIENSIS LUSITANUS.EX.VO’
- Between 1788-1791 the Tower had an extra storey built on top during a neo-Classical restoration.
Visibility
- The Lighthouse is neither visible from the west coast, nor from the north coast, but is only visible from the northwest direction.
- Therefore it must have acted as a warning beacon for Ocean Vessels to avoid the Northwestern corner of Spain at night, as they passed from Brittany to Cadiz.
Roman Site
- The Roman Lighthouse is the original structure and is the oldest Roman lighthouse still functioning today.
- The original height was 112 ft (34m) with three storeys. This has been added to and the present height is 180ft (55m).
Roman Roads
- A Roman Road
- La Coruna–Leon (which was on the Via Lusitanorum)
The Tower of Hercules, La Coruna