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THE HERCULES’ TOWER
La Coruña, Spain
This
is the more ancient builded lighthouse still working all over the world
and, in theoretical contradiction, over roman stones modern electronic systems
work. It’s the absolute symbol of
La Coruña city. And nobody in its very cared environment can stop wondering it
and can stop being absorbed by its special magic. Although there are several versions and legends about the
Hercules’ Tower contruction, here are told the three ones more well known.
Legend
I :
The
mithological legend tells that Euristeo imposed to Hércules twelve works, the
tenth of them was the robbery of Gerion’s oxes. Legend II : After construction of Hercules’
columns, end of Mediterranean Sea and beginning of the tenebrous sea, and known
by people of Asperia (Spain) the good facts of Hércules in fights against
tyrannous and injustices, they ask his help to be liberated of the tiranny of
Gerion and Trato, Lords of Asperian lands. Legend III : In accordance with the Invasions book, an
irish XIIth century compilation of epic facts, the celtic lord Breogan, Brath’s
son and father of the lord Ith, Erin conqueror, founded the city of Brigantium
in Galicia and in front of it builded the called “Breogan’s Tower”
of it was told that was “a pleasant and delicious home, in addition to
be a place to see and watch”. THE
STORY ALONG THE CENTURIES The tower was built in time of Trajano
Emperor, at the end of the Ist century, by Cayo Servio Lupo, architect from
Aeminium (Coimbra, Portugal) and it was offered to the God Mars, with the
purpose to be used like lighthouse and watching tower of the coasts near the
very important harbour of Brigantium. At the bottom of the tower was found a
stone with the next inscription. MARTI AUG.SACR C.SEVIVS LUPUS AEMINIENSIS LVSITANVS.EX.VO “Sacred to Mars Augustus. Gaio Sevio
Lupo, architect from Aeminium, lusitanian, in a promise fullfilment”. Aeminium
is placed near the city of Coimbra, Portugal. The tower was built with square plant,
with a side of 18 m. y 36 m. of height, it had three floors and four
communicated indoor rooms each floor. The top of it was finished by a cylindric
pinnacle of more or less 4 m., joined to it where placed the fire-pans to
contain the fire. The climbing was made by an ascendent ramp placed in outdoor
circling the tower. The importance of the harbour of
Brigantium city for the imperial trading is shown by the fact that it was one of
the little number of harbours in Atlantic Ocean that had Imperial Customs, to
regulate the trade of minerals and another products to another horbours of
Empire. The first historic new of the tower and
its use like lighthouse is given by Paulo Orosio in his work “Historiarum
adversum paganus libri septens” written beetween the years 415 and 417: “Secundus
angulus circium intendit, ubi Brigantia Gallaeciae civitas sita altissimum farum
et inter pauca memorandi operis ad speculam Britanniae erigit” (“the
second angle of Spain looks to NW, where is placed Brigantia, Gallaecia city,
and raises for looking of Brittania a very high lighthouse”). The use of the tower like lighthouse was
associated to the city and the region in a way that in the year 572 was given
the nane of “Faro” to one of the territorial divisions that Miro, King of
Galicia, gave to the bishopric of Iria in the ecumenical council of Braga. Later,
in the year, 830 appears named like “County of Faro”. People of city were displaced out of the
zone by normands invasions from year 846 and forward and the city founded by
refugges in indoor lands was named “Burgo de Faro”. The “Cronicón de San Sebastián” (St.
Sebastian Big Chronicle) (870) says about the normand invasion that came
“until the place known like Farum Brigantium”. A King Ordoño II’s privilege given in
the year 915 gives the property of the city of “Farum Brigantium” and other
possessions to Santiago de Compostela Bishopric. St. Rosendo (942) gives to the Celanova
Monastry the lands of “Artasio in Faro”. Bishop Sisnando (966) gives to Sobrado
Monastry “the church named of St. Eulalia that is placed near farum precancium”. And King Bermudo II (991) gives “the
Faro’s county” to the Church of Santiago. Like is well shown, during the Middle Age
the city and lands in around were known by the name os Faro. It gives idea of
the importance thar the lighthouse had about the city character. From the return of citizens finished the
normands invasions King Alfonso V confirms the donation of the city to the
Catholic Church, but it seems that wasn’t donated the property of the tower,
because of that later were several changes of property until Pedro Froilaz,
Trava and Trastamara Count, take the tower like royal present. Later were
several fights between Trava Counts and Santiago de Compostela Bishopric caused
by the possesion of the tower. Reason for that were the good place of
the tower and its fortitude of construction that was used like fortress. In the year 1126 the city and tower came
to royal possesion and later, in 1130 the tower was given to Trava Counts, that
later donated it to Santiago de Compostela Bishopric. The multiple changes in the tower’s
possesion difficulted its conservation that hadn’t any manteinance and begin
its ruin. At the final years of XII century, the
city is known as “La Cruña”, from the latin “ad columnam” (close to the
column) and in the XIII century the city had the royal privileges and became the
main city in the region. Internal fights beetween families, the
church, and the “Irmandiños” war (1470) went on damaging the conservation
of the tower, and the external ramp was took off to use the stones in the city
fortress works. From XVI century the tower belongs to the
city. In that moment and, due to the miss of the ramp, there is no possibility
to reach the high floors and, so, the ruin is increasing. Finally, the tower is
abandonated and during the british siege to the city in 1589 “only is used
like birds nest”. In 1682 due to the Duke ok Uceda were
made works to reactivate the use like lighthouse, giving access to the high
floors by holes in the indoor vaults and the construction of indoor stairs. At
the top of the N side, were built two small towers to contain two lanterns. The
cost of construction and maintainance of this little towers and lanterns were
paid for ten years by the consuls of England, Netherlands and Flanders, in
interest of the commercial navigation of their countries. Later the lighting and
maintainance was charged to the City Council. Bad administration and the lack of
attention caused the fall of one of the small towers and severe damages in
stairs. In 1785 the administration of the tower
is changed from the Municipality to the new Royal Maritime Consulate of Galicia,
that, due to the ruin of the tower,
fastly proposes its reconstruction, that was passed by upper Authorities. The works were leaded by Eustaqui
Gianinni, naval officer and enginner, and they consists in the general
revestment of the tower ancient nucleus for a recovering of grenite stone of 60
cm. thickness, construction of a new top for two octogonal new domes that acts like top and vault and were the lighthouse
service and the construction of a new stone indoor stairs, and several other
remodelation ins doors and windows. And the construction of a stone bend in the
facade in remembrance of the ancient ramp. The work finished in 1791 and were placed
two plates over the tower doors, in latin and castilian with the inscrition:
“Reigning Charles IV, The Royal Maritime Consulate of Galicia, for the sailors
safety, finished in its charge, in the year of 1791, the repair of the very old
Lighthouse of La Coruña, begun in the Reign of Charles III and by his order”.
With these works the tower took the actual look. From this moment, the light has seven
reflectors lighted by oil, the eclipses are made by iron plates moved by a clock
machine. In 1833 are installed eight fix lamps and
the characteristic is obtained by the rotation of the iron plates. In 1847 is installed a lighting system
composed by eleven big reflectors and eleven small reflectors, the lamps were
lighted by olive oil and the light was increased by twelve convex lens. From 1849 until 1854 was based in the
tower the lighthouse keepers school, where the candidates to keeper attended the
courses. In 1857 was assigned a characteristic of
white fix light with sparkles every 3 minutes. In 1860 are installed reflector panels in
the land side and are changed the glasses of the lantern. In 1861 are modified the circular wagon
and the optical is increased, and was built a sixteen-sided platform all around
the tower with granite-stone socle in talus way and the keeper house, and the
access grand staircase. In 1883 is changed the lighting system,
is installed a mechanical lamp Sautter with two wicks lighted by scottish
paraffine and optical system Letorneau. The range reached 16 miles. In 1904 is changed the lamp for a Sautter
of incandescence by pressured petroleum steam with the same characteristic. In 1921 the installation is electrified. In 1956 is built a new two floor building
for keepers in the SW side of the platform talus. In 1974 is installed the fog signal with
the characteristic “H” with a range of 7 miles. In 1977 is installed the radio beacon. The Hercules’ Tower, today The Hercules’ Tower nowadays is the main city simbol. Its authomatic thing to
associate the Tower with La Coruña and vice versa, in fact, the tower is the
main object in the several city coats of arms along the History. Several coats
that in other side let watch the morphological changes suffered by the tower. It goes on working like light, its
characteristic is four sparkles groups in white light, with a 20 s. Period, seen
from 23 miles, it has radiobeacon and fog signal, The height of the focal point
is 105 m. from sea level. Its geographical position is 43º 23’ 9’’ N / 8º
24’ 24’’ W, the height of the
place over sea level is 57 m. It’s open to visitors until the upper
level, only is closed the lantern. During the climbing can be watched the
ancient roman construction, and the scars of works and reforms. In the tower base there is a small
construction that protects the original stone with the latin inscription.
Moreover can be visited the vestiges and rests of the several works and reforms. |