Sometimes when travelling, the scale and significance of what you are experiencing can far exceed that which you had anticipated. Such happened to oldgreytravel on a recent visit to Merida, in the distant south of Extremadura. The city is known above all else for its Roman legacy, but I was not prepared for the full scope and magnificence of its remains. Merida, or Emerita as it was then, was founded in 25BC when Augustus completed the conquest of Northern Hispania. The city was created as an idealized model of Rome and was the capital of Lusitania, the western-most province of the Roman Empire. It duly became the tenth most important city in the Roman Empire. Like much of Extremadura, the relative lack of prosperity led to much of its early history being preserved. Here, the new city of Merida was built on top of the Roman city by, first, the Visigoths, then the Moors and then by the Christian reconquest. The layers of history remind one of the turbulent past of Spain, but the great glory of Merida is the surviving Roman remains – some of the finest anywhere. UNESCO’s World Heritage Site designation states “the remarkable conditions of the Archaeological Ensemble of Merida allow the property to serve as a learning ground, with vast remains from roman times and from the development of the city in subsequent times that illustrate the evolution of a European city over a 2000 year period.”
One of the great joys of Merida is the way the past is intertwined with the present. The juxtaposition of old and new is so intense that virtually any new build in the city uncovers a hidden Roman past. Many new structures, including the Museum of Roman Art itself, have to be raised above undercrofts where the remains of the Roman city are excavated and displayed. Legibility and interpretation are excellent with explanatory panels explaining the origin and provenance of the various sites, most with an English version alongside the Spanish. One of the most impressive villas, the Casa Mitreo was only discovered when they started excavation for a new hospital on the outskirts of the town in the 1960’s. Construction was stopped, the hospital relocated and the villa gradually revealed. Excavation is still ongoing, but that exposed has revealed the complete plan form of a major villa complex with astonishing mosaic floors and painted decoration.
The long established highlights are the amphitheatre and theatre, both in excellent stages of preservation. The theatre itself, still used for summer performances, is one of the largest and best preserved in the world. In Rome, one would expect to trawl around the site with thousands of other tourists, but Merida is so off the main tourist trail that you are very unlikely to be inconvenienced by other visitors. The National Museum of Roman Art, right by the theatre complex, is in a modern building by the architect Rafael Moreno and contains some of the finest Roman exhibits from across Spain. My particular favourites were the tiny toys and domestic objects that people used in their everyday life. The building itself is magnificent, built specifically to display the artefacts shown and the whole experience is a triumph.
Other Roman remains are dotted around the city, the Roman bridge across the Rio Guadiana, one of the longest in Spain with sixty arches, the Temple of Diana, the aqueduct, the Circus, more villas, sections of Roman Road – at times the modern city and its Roman past seem inextricably linked. Merida itself is quite small and it is easy to walk around all the main sites. The modern city is undistinguished, but nevertheless a very pleasant place to spend a few days. There are some delightful squares and excellent restaurants and bars at very reasonable prices. Merida is at the very south of Extremadura and the proximity of Andalusia is evident in the manners and habits of the people, the evening paseo being one of the most enthusiastic in all Spain.
Oldgreytravel took the train from Atocha Madrid (4 hours, £20) and stayed at La Flor De Al-Andalus, boutique hotel, (£45 per night)
