Village
Capital of Extremadura and of the Tierra de Mérida-Vegas Bajas region, with 60,225 inhabitants (2025) at 224 m altitude, on the bank of the Guadiana. Founded as a Roman colony in 25-24 BC (Colonia Iulia Augusta Emerita) to settle veteran legionaries, it was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania and later a Visigothic metropolitan see of great religious weight. Taken by the Muslims (Mārida) in 713, it was conquered by Alfonso IX of León in March 1230.
Historical milestone
The complex of Roman remains of Augusta Emerita was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993 (code 664), at the 17th session of the Committee, for its historical and monumental significance. The declaration applies to the archaeological complex as a whole (theater, amphitheater, circus, bridge, temple of Diana, arch, aqueducts, alcazaba, Casa del Mitreo, etc.); it should not be extended to other monuments of Mérida not formally included in that listing.
Monument
Built between 16 and 15 BC on the initiative of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus. It was renovated in the late 1st-early 2nd century and again under Constantine (330-340). It forms part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, a World Heritage Site since 1993, and remains in use as the venue for the International Festival of Classical Theater.
Monument
Opened in 8 BC, with capacity for about 15,000 spectators, it was used for gladiator and beast combats. Adjoining the Roman theater, it forms part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, a World Heritage Site (1993).
Monument
Built in the early 1st century (possibly under Tiberius), it is more than 400 m long and 100 m wide, with an estimated capacity of 30,000 spectators; its central spina measures 223 m long by 8.5 m wide. It is one of the best-preserved Roman circuses in Hispania.
Monument
At 792 meters long and resting on a central islet in the river, it is one of the longest surviving Roman bridges. It still spans the Guadiana next to Mérida's historic center.
Monument
Built in the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, it was actually dedicated to the imperial cult, although since the 17th century it has been popularly known as the 'Temple of Diana.' It preserves its hexastyle facade of Corinthian columns.
Monument
Despite its traditional name, it actually dates from the era of Tiberius. It measures 13.97 m in height, 5.70 m in width, and 8.67 m in arch span; it was originally a granite frame faced with marble.
Monument
Built in 835 by order of Abd al-Rahman II, it is considered the first Arab alcazaba built on the Iberian Peninsula. It is a quadrangular fortification 130 m on each side, next to the Roman bridge.
Monument
Built in the early 1st century AD to bring water to the city from the Proserpina reservoir, located about 5 km away. Its masonry pillars with courses of brick are one of Mérida's most recognizable sights.
Monument
Its collection traces back to the Archaeological Museum of Mérida, created in 1838; the current building, the work of Rafael Moneo, opened on 19 September 1986 and is one of his most celebrated works. It holds more than 36,000 Roman pieces from Augusta Emerita: sculptures, mosaics, epigraphy, and grave goods.
Monument
A dam of Roman origin (specialists debate whether the entire current structure is from a single phase or was expanded in the 2nd century AD) that holds back about 6.5 hm³ over some 70 ha; it supplied water to Emerita Augusta through the Los Milagros aqueduct. Declared a Monumento Nacional in 1912, it is today also an area for swimming and hiking, with a perimeter trail of about 6 km.
Nature
Declared a natural park on 19 November 2004, it covers 11,601 ha spread across Mérida, Aljucén, Mirandilla, San Pedro de Mérida, and Guareña. It preserves holm oak and cork oak dehesas, riverside forests, and more than 250 vertebrate species, including the black stork and the jarabugo, a fish endemic to the Guadiana basin. It includes the Roman dam of Cornalvo, declared a Monumento Nacional in 1912.
Activity
Born on 18 June 1933, when Margarita Xirgu and Cipriano Rivas Cherif reopened the Roman Theater with Seneca's 'Medea' in a version by Unamuno. After a 1934 edition it was interrupted by the Civil War and not resumed until 1953. It is held every year in July and August at the Roman Theater itself and is considered one of the great classical theater festivals in Europe.
Activity
Roman historical reenactment recognized as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Extremadura, with chariot races in the circus, gladiator fights in the amphitheater, rites at the temple of Diana, a Roman market (Macellvm Ceres), and a tapas route inspired by the recipes of Apicius. It is held every year in May (for example, from 18 to 24 May in its 2026 edition); the exact date varies from year to year.
Historical milestone
Saint Eulalia, a 4th-century martyr already venerated in the Visigothic period, is the patron saint of Mérida. Her feast day, 10 December, is a local holiday in the city and is marked with religious events, a procession, and screenings and cultural activities around the basilica that bears her name.