The Tower of Hercules is a 57-meter tall lighthouse located in La Coruña, Spain that was built in the 1st century AD, making it the oldest lighthouse still in use. According to legend, the Greek hero Hercules defeated the giant Gerión near the tower's location. Another legend says that the Celtic king Breogán built a tall tower there so his sons could see Ireland, inspiring them to sail there and become the Celtic ancestors of the Irish people. The tower was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009 due to its archaeological importance and connection to ancient mythology and legends.

1. TOWER OF HERCULES
ka2 searching for the
labours of hercules

2. CHARACTERISTICS
The Tower of Hercules is a
lighthouse tower located on a hill
in the peninsula of the city of La
Coruña in Galicia (Spain).
Its total height is 57 meters, it
was built in the first century and
has the privilege of being the
only Roman lighthouse and the
oldest in operation in the world.
It is the third lighthouse in height
in Spain, behind the Faro de
Maspalomas (60 meters) and the
Lighthouse None (62 m).
On June the 27th, 2009 it was
declared World Heritage by
Unesco.

3. MYTHOLOGY AND LEGENDS
According to one of the
several legends about the
tower, Hercules arrived by
boat to the coasts that
currently surround the tower,
and he buried the giant
Gerión's head there after
defeating him in combat.
This legend represents the
continuity of the Roman legacy
of Hercules on the legacy
tartésico-Phoenician.

4. THE KING BREOGAN
Torre de Hércules - DivesGallaecia2012-62" by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez
(Lmbuga)
Another legend embodied in the 11th-
century Irish compilation Lebor
Gabála Érenn— the "Book of
Invasions"— identifies the tower as
the tower of Breogan .
King Breogán, the founding father of
the Galician Celtic nation, constructed
here a massive tower of such a grand
height that his sons could see a
distant green shore from its top.
The glimpse of that distant green land
lured them to sail north to Ireland.
According to the legend, these
Breogán's descendants who stayed in
Ireland and their followers are the
Celtic ancestors of the current Irish
people. A colossal statue of Breogán
has been erected near the Tower.

5. THE KING BREOGAN
This legend would explain the origin of Brigantium place name, possibly
derived from Breogán, and it has support in the tradition of the Romans in
identifying their own gods or heroes, in this case Hercules, with the locals.

6. TOWER OF HERCULES PARK
CUP OF SUN ( Pepe Galán)
It represents the cup of the sun. Hercules
asked the sun to give him its cup – the sun
used it to go back to the east after reaching the
west- in order to capture Gerion´s oxen.
The Sculpture Park at the Tower of Hercules
is an open air museum where you can feel
the sea breeze, its flavour and aroma in
surroundings steeped in legend.
On the route there are more than 15 works
of art in a great natural space. Some of
them are related to Hercules and greek
mythology.

7. COMPASS ROSE
Compass rose by Correa Corredoira (near the Tower of
Hercules). It represents the different Celtic peoples There is also
a reference to Tarsis, Gerion´s City.

8. GUARDIANS (Soledad Penalta)
Three heads, three Gerions as
guardians of the tower.
FIGHT BETWEEN HERCULES AND GERION
(Tim Behrens & Xosé Espona)
It can only be seen from the tower.
TOWER OF HERCULES PARK

9. HÉRCULES IN THE ARGONAUTS BOAT (Gonzalo Viana)
CARONTE (Ramón Conde)

10. DOOR OF THE TOWER (Francisco Leiro)
Hercules fighting Gerion

11. THE END
IVÁN MARÍN SÁNCHEZ
ÁNGEL GARCÍA JIMÉNEZ
DEPARTAMENTOS DE LATÍN Y GRIEGO