A CORUNA – Thursday, 18 th September Walkabout – monuments,flora and views.

This was the area we intended to cover.

Misty morning up at the Tower of Hercules. It began to clear later on in the morning.

Rocky coves and outlying rock formations make you realise why a lighthouse was built all those centuries ago .
The Tower of Hercules is the only fully preserved Roman lighthouse that is still used for maritime signaling, hence it is testimony to the elaborate system of navigation in antiquity and it provides an understanding of the Atlantic sea route in Western Europe. The Tower of Hercules was restored in the 18th century in an exemplary manner, which has protected the central core of the original Roman monument while restoring its technical functions.
Criterion (iii): The Tower of Hercules is testimony to the use of lighthouses in antiquity. The Tower is also proof of the continuity of the Atlantic route from when it was first organised by the Romans, during a large part of the Middle Ages, and through to its considerable development in the modern and contemporary eras.
Integrity and Authenticity
The architectural integrity of the property, in the sense of a structurally complete building, and its functional integrity are satisfactory. While the authenticity of the central Roman core is certain, the authenticity of the building only makes sense when judged from the point of view of a technological property that has required numerous renovations and functional adaptations.

The area around the lighthouse is protected though very accessible.

A customs patrol boat – drug smuggling is a problem.

Looking back at the town.

A narrow stretch of sandy beach.

Here he is – Hercules afloat.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), this was the site of a Muslim cemetery for soldiers from the Maghreb. Their remains were later moved to the San Amaro Cemetery, and although they were repatriated in 1957, a commemorative plaque can still be seen there. Today, the walls are adorned with texts referring to the city, in Latin, Greek, Arabic, Gaelic and old Spanish, which is why we now call it the House of Words.