The Tower of Hercules is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. Built by Rome in the 1st century CE and restored in 1788 with a neoclassical façade, the lighthouse is still working. During 2018 many activities were held to join the European Heritage Days under the motto “Tower of Hercules. European Culture, World Heritage”. Both natural and artificial light, landscape and nature and participation and accessibility were the leitmotivs of our European Heritage Days. My story will include the following items: The oldest Roman lighthouse still working The Tower of Hercules represents the survival of a European civilisation The only lighthouse on the World Heritage List is European Why are lighthouses so attractive to us? How do we spread the Tower’s Outstanding Universal Value during the European Heritage Days? Who are our visitors? What is next?

The oldest Roman lighthouse still working Located in the North-West of Spain, in a region called Galicia, the Tower of Hercules is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. Built by Rome in the 1st century CE and restored in 1788 with a neoclassical façade, the lighthouse is still working. History and nature are joined in this Atlantic peninsula. The striking dimensions of the tower and its privileged situation by the wild sea make this site one of the most attractive in our region. At the same time, the lighthouse is nearby the city of Corunna. A short walk of half an hour separates the monument from the centre of the city. The Tower of Hercules represents the survival of a European civilization The practical guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention leave no room to doubt. The Tower of Hercules is outstanding next to any other monument in the world because it is the only Roman lighthouse of which more than 60% survives, and it continues to be used today. Furthermore, it is a paradigmatic case of an architectonic intervention in a monument of Antiquity and its refurbishment “is yet another value asset as it demonstrates the sensitivity of men and women of the 18th century when restoring the received heritage”. The Tower of Hercules is a witness to the evolution of navigation aids and techniques since Roman times up to now, from Europe to the world. Many legends and mythology itself speak about the links between the tower and Europe. It was the same Hercules performing one of his famous works who built the tower on the place where he first buried Geryon’s head. Furthermore, a medieval Irish legend tells us that Ith, Breogan’s son, spotted a green coastline from the top of the tower and set sail on a voyage of conquest towards Ireland. The only lighthouse on the World Heritage List is European Is there any other lighthouse on the World Heritage List? The answer is no. This European lighthouse contributed widely to strengthen ties between people. From South to North Europe, from the continent to the isles, the Tower of Hercules has been lightning the sea for 2,000 years. Why are lighthouses so attractive to us? Lighthouses are very attractive. Have you ever wondered why? Perhaps we have to find out the answer in Gaston Bachelard’s reflections on the aesthetic values of space. The French phenomenologist leads us through a magical interpretation. According to him, a tower is a cosmic house guided by a feminine principle related to care. The house is a refuge where the poet can create a new world, a stone tree that grows from the hard rock up to the blue sky. The house, the tower, connects with a cosmic dream. The observer, the visitor (even the poet), begins his aesthetic journey beneath the ground where the tower has its roots, and finishes the adventure at height, attracted by the light and protected by the vaulted ceilings that the Tower of Hercules has. These vaulted ceilings convey intimacy. From the top of the tower, the observer miniaturises the universe. Everything is small at his feet and he feels stronger. On the other hand, the tower has a kind of human verticality and can only be an archaic building. All towers have a past. A modern tower is something derisory. The Tower of Hercules is 2000 years old. Light is directly related to the tower as a house. The light from the window is the eye of the house. In the kingdom of imagination —Bachelard says— light is always internal and transmits humanity. The house can see through the solitary night. This is, in short, what lighthouses do. During the European Heritage Days 2018, this aesthetic meditation was used to develop a literary workshop entitled The Dream Tower. How do we spread the Tower’s Outstanding Universal Value during the European Heritage Days? The only Roman lighthouse still working. This phrase in itself describes the Outstanding Universal Value of the Tower of Hercules, a European heritage in the world heritage. One of the best ways to underline this value is to emphasise the light emanating from the tower and associate it with the light of nature. Many activities to spread the OUV were developed during the European Heritage Days 2018. A workshop entitled The Sun Is a Lighthouse of Fire tried to connect the lighthouse (historic heritage) with the sun (natural heritage), also used by the ancient sailors as a visual reference in the sea. With this activity, pinhole photography was a means to reveal the apparent movement of the sun to our eyes. In addition, a local astronomic society, Ío, organised a stargazing event in the surroundings of the tower. During those days, the construction of Roman “lucernae” was the goal of an children’s archaeology workshop, as well as the empirical verification of the characteristics of natural light. This last workshop, called Playing with Light, was developed by Habitat, a local naturalist group. Climbing the Tower of Hercules during the night is one of the most demanded activities in our city. The European Heritage Days 2018 offered a new opportunity with night visits specifically organised for young people in association with the Town Council and making special mention of light pollution. Who are our visitors? The Tower of Hercules receives about 125,000 visitors a year. About 20% of this amount come from European countries. What is next? During 2020, we shall go on celebrating the European Heritage Days. The light will be the protagonist again. The Sun is a Lighthouse of Fire will have its third edition. The observation of the sky will return on September adhering to the annual event International Day of the Observation of the Moon, organized by NASA. The poetic view on the monument will continue with another edition of the workshop The Dream Tower. Disabled people will be received in special days on May. The workshop by Habitat The Nocturnal Fireflies of the Tower will put natural and artificial light in contact. Finally, Roman living-history activities will come once again to remember the common past with our European neighbours.

The aims of the activities we organise for the European Heritage days are mostly connected with love for nature and history; with a sensitive way of encouraging creativity and with a desire to share the heritage with the most physically or socially disadvantaged people. These categories are at the heart of the common values that underpin European integration. The commitment to human dignity, freedom, equality and respect of human rights pushes us to open our monument to all citizens regardless of belief or personal circumstance. Education and creativity are open doors to a deeper sense of freedom, and a civilised approach to nature makes us more human and therefore, more prone to the recognition of human rights. Evidently we have in our hands an indestructible power, the one which radiates from a heritage site that represents our values and our common past.