Mérida () is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, part of the

Province of Badajoz The province of Badajoz ( ; ) is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres in the north, Toledo, Ciudad Real in the east, Córdoba in ...

, and capital of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

. Located in the western-central part of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

at 217 metres above sea level, the city is crossed by the

Guadiana The Guadiana River ( , , , ) is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the e ...

and Albarregas rivers. The population was 60,119 in 2017.

Etymology

The place name of ''Mérida'' derives from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''Emerita'', with a meaning of ''retired'' or ''veteran''. It is part of the name that the city received after its foundation by the emperor

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

in 25 BC, '' Augusta Emerita'',

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

in which veteran soldiers or emeritus settled.

History

Prehistory

Mérida has been populated since prehistoric times, as demonstrated by a prestigious

hoard A hoard or "wealth deposit" is an archaeological term for a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground, in which case it is sometimes also known as a cache. This would usually be with the intention of ...

of gold jewellery excavated from a girl's grave in 1870. Consisting of two penannular bracelets, an armlet, and a chain of six spiral wire rings, the hoard is now preserved at the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Antiquity

The town was founded in 25 BC under the name ''

Emerita Augusta Augusta Emerita, also called Emerita Augusta, was a Roman '' colonia'' founded in 25 BC in present day Mérida, Spain. The city was founded by Roman Emperor Augustus to resettle Emeriti soldiers from the veteran legions of the Cantabrian Wars ...

'' (meaning "veterans of Augustus"), by order of

Emperor Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

, to settle discharged soldiers of the V Alaudae and X Gemina. Established to guard a strategic pass and the

river bridge, it quickly became one of the most important cities in Roman

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

. It was the capital of the

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

and later, in the 4th century, served as the capital of the Diocese of Hispania. ''Emerita Augusta'' was also a terminus of the Vía de la Plata (Silver Way), a key Roman route connecting the gold mines near ''Asturica Augusta'' with the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Mérida preserves more major Roman monuments than any other city in

, including a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

and the Roman theatre. Jewish historical tradition, as recorded in

Abraham ibn Daud Abraham ibn Daud (; ) was a Spanish-Jewish astronomer, historian and philosopher; born in Córdoba, Spain about 1110; who was said to have been killed for his religious beliefs in Toledo, Spain, about 1180. He is sometimes known by the abbrevia ...

's ''Sefer ha-Qabbala'' (a 12th-century source) holds that a group of noble Jewish exiles arrived in Mérida following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. One of these exiles, Baruch, a silk craftsman, is described as the progenitor of the influential Albalia family of medieval Córdoba. In 409, during the invasion of Iberia, the city became the capital of the short-lived

Kingdom of the Alans The Vandal Kingdom () or Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans () was a confederation of Vandals and Alans, which was a barbarian kingdoms, barbarian kingdom established under Gaiseric, a Vandals, Vandalic warlord. It ruled parts of North Africa and th ...

under King Attaces. His death in 418 in battle against the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...

led to the city's absorption into the neighboring

Vandal The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vandal ...

kingdom. In 469, it was taken by the Visigoths and remained an important city in the

Visigothic Kingdom The Visigothic Kingdom, Visigothic Spain or Kingdom of the Goths () was a Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic people ...

Middle Ages

In 713, Mérida was conquered by the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...

under

Musa ibn Nusayr Musa ibn Nusayr ( ''Mūsá bin Nuṣayr''; 640 – c. 716) was an Arab general and governor who served under the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I. He ruled over the Muslim province of Ifriqiya, and directed the Islamic conquest of the Visigothic King ...

and became the capital of the Cora of Mérida. The

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

reused and expanded many Roman buildings, notably the Alcazaba fortress. In the 9th century, the

Mozarabs The Mozarabs (from ), or more precisely Andalusi Christians, were the Christians of al-Andalus, or the territories of Iberia under Muslim rule from 711 to 1492. Following the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania, the Christian ...

of Mérida frequently rebelled against the Caliphate, contributing to the city’s gradual decline. During the Fitna of al-Andalus, Mérida became part of the

Taifa of Badajoz The Taifa of Badajoz (from ) was a medieval Islamic Moorish kingdom located in what is now parts of Portugal and Spain. It was centred on the city of Badajoz which exists today as the first city of Extremadura, in Spain.Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

control, Mérida supported the rival leader Ibn Hud. In 1230, it was conquered by

Alfonso IX of León Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death. He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion and founded the University of Salaman ...

and returned to Christian rule. The city then became the seat of the priory of San Marcos de León of the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; ) is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, ''Santiago'' ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of S ...

. A period of recovery began in the 15th century following the unification of the crowns of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

and Castile, aided by

Alonso de Cárdenas Alonso de Cárdenas was a Spanish noble who was the 44th and 47th (and last) Grand Master of the Order of Santiago before the title passed to the Catholic Monarchs as the need for a powerful military order outside the direct control of the kin ...

, Grand Master of the Order.

Modern times

In 1720, Mérida became the capital of the Intendencia of Mérida. The city is also located along the Vía de la Plata route of the

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago (, ; ), or the Way of St. James in English, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tra ...

, offering an alternative to the more widely known French Way. During the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, many of Mérida’s historic monuments were damaged or destroyed. In the aftermath, the city developed as a railway hub and underwent significant industrialization. On 10 August 1936, during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, Mérida was captured by

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

forces in the Battle of Mérida. In modern times, Mérida became the capital of the autonomous community of

in 1983. It also serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz. The city's archaeological site was declared a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1993. The current mayor (since 2015) is Antonio Rodríguez Osuna of the

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...

Climate

Mérida has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

with

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

influences (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa''; Trewartha: ''Csak''), due to the proximity of the Portuguese coast. The winters are mild, with minimum temperature rarely below , and summers are hot with maximum temperatures occasionally exceeding . Precipitation is normally between annually. The months with most rainfall are November and December. Summers are dry, and in Mérida, as in the rest of southern Spain, cycles of

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

are common, ranging in duration from 2 to 5 years. In autumn the climate is more changeable than in the rest of the year. Storms occur with some frequency, but the weather is often dry. Both humidity and winds are low. However, there is frequent fog, especially in the central months of

autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

and

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

Annual Events

Emerita Lvdica

Each year the city holds a week-long event to celebrate the Roman history of the area. The "games" ''(lvdica)'' include scheduled events throughout the city during the day and into Mérida's comfortable evenings. They include parades, brightly-costumed attendees, fiercely-armored gladiators, mock battles in the ancient amphitheater, plus some simulation of the daily life in that period. The schedule is roughly the last week of May until the first weekend in June and should be checked in advance by visiting the city's schedule of events page.

Culture

Main sights

Among the remaining Roman monuments are: The Puente Romano, a bridge over the

River that is still used by pedestrians, and the longest of all existing Roman bridges.. Annexed is a fortification (the '' Alcazaba''), built by the Muslim emir Abd ar-Rahman II in 835 on the Roman walls and Roman-Visigothic edifices in the area. The court houses Roman mosaics, while underground is a Visigothic cistern. * remains of the Forum, including the Temple of Diana, and of the Roman Provincial Forum, including the so-called Arch of Trajan * remains of the

Circus Maximus The Circus Maximus (Latin for "largest circus"; Italian language, Italian: ''Circo Massimo'') is an ancient Roman chariot racing, chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine Hill, Avent ...

(1st century BC), one of the best preserved Roman circus buildings * Acueducto de los Milagros ( aqueduct of Miracles) * patrician villa called the '' Villa Mitreo'', with precious mosaic pavements * Proserpina Dam and Cornalvo Dam, two Roman reservoirs still in use * the

Amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

, and the Roman theatre, where a summer festival of

Classical theatre Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthe ...

is presented, usually with versions of Greco-Roman classics or modern plays set in ancient times. *Morerías archaeological site * National Museum of Roman Art designed by Rafael Moneo * Church of ''Santa Eulalia'', dating to the 4th century but rebuilt in the 13th century. Its portico reuses parts of an ancient temple of Mars. Other sights include: * Cathedral of Saint Mary Major (13th-14th centuries) *Renaissance ''Ayuntamiento'' (Town Hall) *Church of ''Santa Clara'' (17th century) * Gothic church of ''Nuestra Señora de la Antigua'' (15th-16th centuries) *Baroque church of ''Nuestra Señora del Carmen'' (18th century) Several notable buildings were built more recently, including the Escuela de la Administración Pública (Public Administration College), the Consejerías y Asamblea de Junta de Extremadura (councils and parliament of Extremadura), the Agencía de la Vivienda de Extremadura (Housing Agency of Extremadura), the Biblioteca del Estado (State Library), the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones (auditorium), the Factoría de Ocio y Creación Joven (cultural and leisure center for youth), the Complejo Cultural Hernán Cortés (cultural centre), the Ciudad Deportiva (sports city), the Universidad de Mérida (Mérida University), the Confederación Hidrografica del Guadiana (Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation designed by Rafael Moneo), the Lusitania Bridge over the Guadiana River designed by

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spaniards, Spanish-Swiss people, Swiss architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stad ...

), the Palacio de Justicia (Justice Hall), etc.

Sport

Mérida AD Asociación Deportiva Mérida, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football club based in Mérida, Spain, Mérida, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 2013 it is a successor club of ...

is the principal football team of the city, founded in 2013 as a successor to Mérida UD, which itself was a successor to

CP Mérida Club Polideportivo Mérida was a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Mérida, Spain, Mérida, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Having played twice in La Liga (1995–96 La Liga, 1995–96 and 1997–98 La Li ...

. The last of these teams played two seasons in Spain's top division,

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

, in the late 1990s. All three clubs played at the city's 14,600-capacity Estadio Romano. On 9 September 2009, it hosted the Spanish national team as they defeated Estonia 3–0 to qualify for the

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

, which they went on to win. Mayor of Mérida Ángel Calle said, "We want to use the Estonia match to promote Mérida and Extremadura, we will welcome the players as if they were 21st-century gladiators."

International relations

Mérida is twinned with: * Mérida, Mexico * Mérida, Venezuela

Gallery

File:Mérida - Letras 1.jpg, Mérida Letter Art File:Teatro Romano. Mérida (España).JPG, Roman Amphitheater panorama File:Mérida (1984) 05.jpg, Roman Amphitheater closer view File:J29 320 Amphitheater Mérida, Hauptzugang.jpg, Roman Amphitheater entrance arch File:J29 319 Amphitheater Mérida, Zugang.jpg, Seating and entrances to Roman Amphitheater File:J29 321 Mérida, römisches Theater.jpg, Roman Amphitheater from different angle File:Ceres Teatro Romano Mérida - panoramio.jpg, Statue of Ceres in Roman Amphitheater File:Ceres of Mérida (cropped).jpg, Closeup of the statue of Ceres in the Roman Amphitheater File:Mérida - Teatro - 02.jpg, Statues lining the Roman Theater File:Mérida - Anfiteatro - 02 - Panorámica.jpg, Panorama of the Roman Amphitheater File:Mérida (1984) 14.jpg, Details of mosaic tile pattern in the Roman Theater File:Teatro de Mérida, España, 2017 10.jpg, Detail of Roman Columns from the Roman Theater File:Mérida 2015 10 17 1588 (24164079070).jpg, Cornerstone dedicating the Roman Amphitheater in 8 BC for use in gladiatorial contests and staged beast-hunts File:Mérida - Templo de Diana - 02 edited.jpg, Temple of Diana File:Templo de Diana (Mérida).jpg, Temple of Diana File:J29 269 Bf Mérida, Acueducto de los Milagros.jpg, Roman Aqueduct File:Puente Romano de Mérida, España.jpg, Roman Bridge File:Puente romano de Mérida.jpg, Roman Bridge in Merida File:Spain-Merida-Spain-Merida-Puente Romano-P1170557 (25592981670).jpg, Roman Bridge File:J29 252 Mérida, Ermita de la Antigua.jpg, Ancient Hermitage File:Spain-Merida-Spain-Merida-Puente Romano-P1250189 (25893548645).jpg, Roman Bridge File:Portada tardorrománica de Santa Eulalia, Mérida (15790991169).jpg, Late Romanesque Portal to Santa Eulalia Church File:Mérida - Arco de Trajano 3.jpg, Trajan's Arch File:Mérida - Monumento a Octavio Augusto 03.jpg, Monument to Octavian Augustus, for whom Augusta Emerita was named File:Mérida - Basílica romano cristiana - DSC 2112 W.jpg, Roman Christian Basilica File:Mérida. The Capitoline She-Wolf. Badajoz. Extremadura. Spain (4921150035).jpg, Copy of the Roman Capitoline She-Wolf File:Mérida (1984) 03.jpg, Entrances to the Arena File:Mérida - Monumento a Marco Agrippa 3.jpg, Monument to Marcus Agrippa File:Mérida - Plaza de España - 02.jpg, Spain Square, Mérida File:Mérida - Palacio de la China 02.jpg, Chinese Palace File:MNAR (Mérida) Exterior 01.jpg, Exterior of Merida Museum File:Cantimplora, Mérida (16811193209).jpg, Roman ceramic canteen File:Convento de Jesús Nazareno, Mérida. Patio.jpg, Patio of the Jesus of Nazareth Convent File:Mérida - Estatua ecuestre de Augusto 2.jpg, Equestrian Statue of Augustus Caesar File:Mérida - Estatua ecuestre de Augusto 4.jpg, Closeup of Equestrian Statue of Augustus Caesar File:Mérida - Alcazaba - 01.JPG, Alcazaba (Cistern) Mérida File:Mérida - Alcazaba - 06 - Panorama.jpg, Panorama of Merida's Alcazaba File:Mérida - Plaza de la Constitución 1.jpg, Plaza de la Constitución File:Mérida - Palacio de Congresos 3.jpg, Mérida's Congress Palace File:Parador de Mérida 4.jpg, Parador de Mérida File:Hotel Mérida Palace.jpg, Hotel Mérida Palace File:Dinosaurio Mérida Museo.jpg, Dinosaur Museum

Notes

Sources

External links

* *
Pictures of Roman Mérida

Photos of Mérida: Roman monuments and other views of the city
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merida, Spain Municipalities in the Province of Badajoz Roman towns and cities in Spain 25 BC establishments 20s BC establishments in the Roman Empire 1st-century BC establishments in Spain 1st century BC in Hispania Establishments in Spain in the Roman era