Mérida

Acueducto y Termas de San Lázaro

This is an aqueduct that collected water from the Albarregas and was completely rebuilt in the sixteenth century. It stretches for more than a mile long but only the cutwaters of some pillars and some arches are preserved. At the foot of these arches the Roman road that led to Cordoba can be found in its entirety.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/acueducto-y-termas-de-san-lazaro

Alcazaba Árabe

It is a large Muslim fortress built in 835 A.D. that had multiple purposes, such as serving as the headquarters of the Umayyad administrative offices and residence of the local governor, as an access filter to the city after crossing the Roman bridge and as a refuge for the Arab minority during local fights.

Anfiteatro

Dated from the 8th century BC, it was a building built in order to serve as a stage for shows such as gladiatorial games, wild beast hunts, the fight between wild animals … and housed to enjoy it about 16,000 spectators. It is located in the same area as the Roman Theater although distanced from it by a causeway.

Arco de Trajano

It is the main access door to a great temple of imperial worship, included in the provincial forum. Its structure is based on a semicircular arch raised 15 meters from the start of the piles and is composed of granite ashlars covered by marble slabs. On the floor of the arch you can still see the hinges of the doors that closed this monumental doorway.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/arco-de-trajano

Basílica de Santa Eulalia

Eulalia was a girl from Emerita who was martyred at the time of the persecutions, ordered by Emperor Diocletian, around 303 and 305 A.D.

A.D.

Eulalia was a young girl from Emerita who was martyred at the time of the persecutions, ordered by Emperor Diocletian, around 303 and 305 A.D.

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Casa del Mitreo

It is a building of the late first century and early second century A.D. distributed around three courtyards. The first courtyard is accessed by a staircase and is a colonnaded atrium that houses a fountain for collecting water. To this atrium are going to give several rooms composed of a stonework plinth and the rest of the front with rammed earth.

Castellum Aquae

It is a structure completely made of concrete and ashlars from Roman times. It was originally attached to the Ermita del Calvario until it was demolished. When it was demolished, the tower from which the water was brought from the Proserpina reservoir to the north of Mérida was exposed.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/castellum-aquae

Circo Romano

It is one of the best preserved circuses of the empire, as well as one of the largest proportions, as it extends for 403 meters long by 96.5 wide; thus being able to accommodate up to 30000 spectators. It was built during the Julio-Claudian dynasty but was not dated until its last renovation in the 4th century A.D.

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Columbarios

This is an open space created in the first century A.D., in the open air, in which you can see the different types of funeral rites throughout history and, in the background, there are two buildings in which the cinerary urns of the Voconios and Julios families were deposited.

It is an open-air space where you can see the different types of funeral rites throughout history and, in the background, there are two buildings in which the cinerary urns of the Voconios and Julios families were deposited.

Concatedral de Santa María

This building is the oldest of all those arranged around the Plaza de España. The discovery of certain pieces of Visigothic origin leads us to believe that it was in this place where the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Jerusalem was located, with its baptistery, the bishop’s palace and the atrium that connected both. What is known for sure is that, after the Reconquest, a hermitage was erected in this place, it would expand its dimensions over time.

Conventual Santiaguista

The Santiaguista Convent was built to serve as a residence for the priory, in the vicinity of the citadel. This occurs after the reconquest of the city, in the year 1230, when Merida was subjected to the jurisdiction of the Order of Santiago. At this time, the priory house was located in the Convent of San Marcos, in León, but, in the middle of the 16th century, the norms of the Council of Trent dictated that the ecclesiastical leaders had to live in the lands under their jurisdiction.

This building is today the Presidency of the Government of Extremadura.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/conventual-santiaguista

Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Antigua

This gothic style hermitage is known from around the end of the 15th century. This rural temple, away from the city, is composed of a single nave, with a ribbed vault roof and an apse. One of the facades of the hermitage has a Renaissance style façade, while the other has a Mannerist style façade.

Iglesia de Santa Clara

This convent, the work of Lope Sánchez de Triana, was not completed until the 17th century. In the 19th century, with the disentailments that occurred, the building became private property and the temple of Santa Clara served for a long time as a warehouse, school and theater and museum, the latter function it still performs today, hosting, in addition, the headquarters of the Visigothic Collection.

Iglesia del Carmen

The former Convent of the Barefoot Franciscans currently houses a church in veneration of the Virgen del Carmen. It is a Gothic temple of simple but firm structure of which, above all, highlights its cover, decorated with the coats of arms of the monastic order and the city of Merida. The interior of the temple draws attention to a dressing room, a space of great architectural attraction.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/iglesia-del-carmen

Museo Abierto de Mérida

The Museo Abierto de Mérida, located in a building inaugurated in 2007, houses two collections of great value: the Prehistoric Collection, known as Praemérita, and the Geology Collection, known as Geoemérita.

The Museum is located in a building inaugurated in 2007, and houses two collections of great value: the Prehistoric Collection, known as Praemérita, and the Geology Collection, known as Geoemérita.

Museo Nacional de Arte Romano

The building that houses the National Museum of Roman Art was built by the architect Rafael Moneo Vallés and stands out for its large proportions. During its construction, this architect from Navarre tried to recreate the late Romanesque buildings of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome or the mausoleum of Gordian in Thessaloniki, using brick, concrete and a large number of semicircular arches in this building.

Plaza de España

The Plaza de España has hosted, since its settlement in the time of the Catholic Monarchs, the city market and, right here, it was also the place where the drinking water fountains were located. This square also witnessed the celebration of other events such as, for example, serving as a bullring for bullfights, a stage for theatrical performances.

Plaza de Toros

Situated on Oviedo Street in the city, more specifically in the area known as Cerro de San Albín, the bullring of Mérida was inaugurated in 1914 and, aesthetically, it can be seen that the architect who designed it combined the neo-Mudejar style with iron.

This bullring, which can accommodate a capacity of 8,700 people, is divided into three floors, which are perfectly distinguished by presenting each different types of windows, in which are located the bleachers and the seats.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Telephone: 924 380 100 (City Hall of Merida)

Telephone: 924 380 100 (Mérida City Hall)

Pórtico del Foro

This is a part of the monumental entrance portico to the Forum of Merida built in the mid-first century. It was completely covered with marble and it highlights the entablatures seated on large Corinthian style columns. On these columns there is also an attic decorated with metopes formed by heads of Jupiter – Amun, Medusa and a caryatids carrying craters. The enclosing walls house niches on which were placed both statues of the imperial family and of the gods and myths linked to Rome.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/portico-del-foro

Puente Lusitania

Erected by the engineer and architect Santiago Calatrava, this bridge was inaugurated in 1991 and is located over the Guadiana River, in the area of Paseo de Roma. This bridge had to be built due to the need to proceed with the pedestrianization of the old Roman bridge, which was deteriorating due to the constant traffic of vehicles.

Puente Romano

It is a bridge built in Roman times and crossing the Guadiana River, considered one of the longest of antiquity. As for its structure, it is entirely made of concrete lined with granite ashlars scattered along sixty semicircular arches reaching twelve meters high at the highest points. Already then they built perforated sections with arches as spillways to reduce the resistance to the current.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/puente-romano

Puente sobre el Albarregas

It is a bridge that stretches 145 meters long and 8 meters wide, through which converged the main entrance to the city as well as the exit point to Astorga by the Via de la Plata. It is located on the Albarregas River at the same time as the Aqueduct of Los Milagros. As for its structure, it is formed by four semicircular arches, all of them built with cushioned ashlars. The parapet (raised sidewalk) does not belong to the Roman period and it is believed that it was built with the first road of Cáceres, in 1863.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/puente-sobre-el-albarregas

Teatro Romano

This is a large Roman theater of the years 16 and 15 BC built on the side of a hill with concrete masonry materials. This theater housed 6000 spectators seated from top to bottom according to their social rank in three sectors of stands: caveas summa, media and ima separated in turn by aisles and barriers.

Templo de Diana

It is an ancient temple of worship of imperial times. It has a rectangular floor plan and stands on a granite podium. It highlights the colonnade that surrounds the entire temple, as well as the staircase of access to it of which only the substructure is preserved.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/templo-de-diana

Termas / Pozo de Nieve

This is a finding of the year 1920 that thanks to its archaeological studies suggest that it was a well in which to keep the snow in the lower circular chamber, built in the high imperial stage. The rooms of the upper floor are said to have had a thermal use and was built during the third or fourth century AD.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/termas-pozo-de-nieve

Termas de la Calle Pontezuelas y la Zona Arqueológica de las Siete Siellas

These are the remains of houses built in the first century as well as a thermal complex that is preserved almost in its entirety. In this set you can see the hot water baths, cold water, warm water and also the changing rooms with marble tiled floors. Next to this complex there is an exercise room and a swimming pool. All these rooms were in use until the 5th century A.D.

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Xenodochium

This was an old hospital built by Bishop Masona to treat and house the sick poor and pilgrims who came to the city to admire the tomb of the martyr Eulalia.

It was an old hospital built by Bishop Masona to treat and house the sick poor and pilgrims who came to the city to admire the tomb of the martyr Eulalia.

Zona Arqueológica de Morerías

This is a plot of about 14 m2 of what was once one of the largest urban settlements on the peninsula. In Morerías the longest stretch of the Roman wall is preserved with a width of almost three meters and a height of eight meters.

Basílica de Santa Eulalia/Templo de Marte

Also known as “El Hornito”, it is located in front of the Basilica of Santa Eulalia and was built with the purpose of being an oratory dedicated to Santa Eulalia. As for its structure, its exterior has a portico covered with marble pieces. Its front inscription, originally with golden letters, praises Vetilla, wife of Paculus, who paid for the work. As for its decoration, it stands out for its meticulousness when it is sculpted the set of war trophies such as: breastplates, crests, swords, etc.

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INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Web: www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/basilica-de-santa-eulalia-templo-de-marte