The Tower of Hercules in Galicia has been chosen this Saturday as a new member of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Organisation. The Tower was the only Spanish Monument to be elected this year.

The Tower of Hercules is situated in the city of La Coruña in Spain, in the North of the country. The Tower dates back to the year 1 AD! It’s a tower of 49m high and sits 106m above water level that functions as a lighthouse! It’s the second highest lighthouse in Spain, and this Saturday, 27th June 2009, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To find out more about the other locations that competed for World Heritage Site status read our previous blog post.

There are different tales about why the Tower is called The Tower of Hercules, but one of the most famous is that it is the supposed landing place of Hercules and where he buried the head of the Giant Geryon after having beat him in battle. In the Middle Ages the lighthouse was changed into a fortification rather than being used as a lighthouse. The building was originally built as a pyramid shape and has since been changed and reformed to the tall square tower that it is today. The change was of neo classical style and was done in the 18th Century.

All this week the entrance to the Tower is free to celebrate the UNESCO decision!

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