Emérita Augusta - Mérida (Badajoz)
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It was founded in 25 b.C. from a veterant contigent of legions V Alaudae and X Gemina which taken part in the fights againts cantabros and astures, which were the responsables of last sources of hispanic resistence to roman spread. Emperor August pretended to create a colony in the remote region of Lusitania. It was conceived with the finality to offer a homage to the first emperor of Rome and this is the reason for Emerita Augusta was named the most august of the hispanic cities. It wad declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2000. |
MERIDA'S THEATER
I B.C. Century
It was built by consul Marco Agripa son in law of August in the years 16-15 B.C. It was capacity for 6.000 spectators. The cavea or gradins appear divided in three sectors where diferent social clases were placed. The scenic front has three gates and a height of two columns immbricated, all of them corinthians. The socle and the cornice are in white marble while the body of the columns are in blue marble. There are decoratives elements in the cornice and sculptures in the spaces between the columns.
DIANE'S TEMPLE
I B.C.- I A.C. Century
It was one of the most importants religion buildings of the city because it was placed in the central forum not far of the confluence of the intersection of "cardus" and "decumanus", the two principals ways of the roman city. Its actual preservation state is owed because the Earl of Corbos in XVI century, decided to built a palace using its structure as base of construction. It is a temple destined to imperial cult. It has rectangular plant and was made of granite. Its measures are 32 by 18,5 meters. It is rounded of columns, with eleven in the greaters sides and six in the smallers. The columns have their body fluted. The chapiters are corinthians. The height is about eight meters and above them there is rests of the architrave.
AQUEDUCT OF MIRACLES
I B.C.- I A.C. Century
This aqueduct placed in the north of the city of Merida, was used to transport water from Proserpina pond to the roman Emérita Augusta. It entered by the hill of Calvario where it has been found the named Tower of Water from which it was distributed to the diferents parts of the city. The conduct was underground until the mud pond. From there it was built the aqueduct of Miracles. It has 830 m. long and 25 maximum height and crossed the river Albarregas. It does not preserve half of the original archs. These were made of granite combined with brick producing an special chromatic effect. Its name is owed to the third pillar that was kown popularly by the "Fat Miracle" because the unstable equilibrium its upper part displayed.
MERIDA'S AMPHITHEATER
I B.C. Century
The building of the roman amphitheater was made few years later to the theater. It was inaugurated in the year 8 b.C. according the inscriptions found inside. With the end of this work it was finished the proyect of endow the colony Augusta Emérita, capital of the province of Lusitania, with a great public area of spectacles. The gradins (cavea) was built over the same hill that the teather. Sixteen gates in its perimeter allowed the access to this zone. The sand form an eliptic fossa of 64 m. long by 41 width, being its totals measures 126 by 103. Its capacity there should be about 15000 spectators.
MERIDA'S CIRCUS
I A.C. Century
The circus is the greater building for public spectacles in Merida. Its measures are 440 meters long by 115 width, corresponding to the sand 403 by 96. Its capacity is calculated about 30.000 spectators. Its stretched shape has two biggers sides paralell and two smallers, one that closed a semicircle and the other straight. The sand was divided by one "spina" of 8,5 m. width and 223 m. long. The monument was maked of masonry and concrete and closed with a wall of granite blocks in which opened several gates with architrave.
