The Roman lighthouse Torre de Hércules is the oldest in the world
Tour d’Hercule , originally known as Farum Brigantium , is a former Roman light , located on a peninsula about 2.5 km from the center of La Corogne in Galicia, in the north-west of Spain . The tower was probably erected at the end of the 1st or early 2nd century, during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117), to facilitate navigation along the rugged coast of Galicia, at a strategic point on the maritime route linking the Mediterranean to north-west Europe.
Flickr – Bernt Rostad
The tower stands on a rock of 57 meters, and rises to 55 meters, of which 34 meters correspond to the work of the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration carried out in 1791, when two octagonal forms were added to the tower at its top.
The original lighthouse used a wood fire system located on the top and overlooking the seaside façade. A spiral staircase was flowing around the lighthouse (outdoor) leading up the tower. The Tower of Hercules has been in constant service since the 2nd century and is considered as the oldest lighthouse in the world . It was listed on the World Heritage List on June 27, 2009.
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Inside the tower, it is still possible to admire the work of the Romans, the exterior being completely renovated. At the bottom of the lighthouse, a stone carries the inscription in Roman writing:
MARTI
SACR
C SEVIVS
LVPVS
ARCHITECTVS
AEMINIENSIS
LVSITANVS EX VO
That means: Consacré à Mars. Caius Sevius Lupus, architect of Aeminium (the current Coimbra), in Lusitania, for the fulfilment of a vow.
Flickr – Arturo
Flickr – luciferete
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