Series Spain: Regions of Spain Unexplored By Us – Mérida, City of Monuments and Roman Ruins

Teresa & Manfred at the Roman Theatre, Mérida
Teresa & Manfred at the Roman Theatre, Mérida

GEOGRAPHICALLY: WHERE ARE WE IN THIS STORY?


Extremadura – Mérida
, The West of Spain

Where is Mérida?
A piece of art depicting the Roman Ruins in the Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
Art depicting the Roman Ruins in the Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
Mérida
The Temple of Diana lit up at night, Mérida
The Temple of Diana lit up at night, Mérida
Mérida
Don’t forget to click on the photos to fully open them up and see them
Statues in the Roman Theatre, Mérida
Statue in the Roman Theatre, Mérida

On the road again – this time to Mérida

An information board at the Roman Theatre, Mérida
An information board at the Roman Theatre, Mérida

Having bid farewell to our hosts in Cuacos de Yuste, in the hills near the Valle del Jerte, we set off towards the main highway. Bypassing the city of Cáceres, we drove down towards the south of Extremadura and the Roman city of Mérida.

Teresa & Manfred at the Roman Theatre, with the columns behind, Mérida
Teresa & Manfred at the Roman Theatre, Mérida

The Spanish Via de la Plata – The Silver Route

Mérida, which has been called the Rome of Spain, is located on the Spanish Via de la Plata, or Silver Route, an ancient commercial and pilgrimage path running north and south from Gijón to Seville. The route runs through mountains, valleys, and plains; and Western culture flourished in this area towards the end of the Bronze Age under the Tartessos monarchy. There was a wealth of minerals and the area became significant for its production of precious metals. When the Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 218BC, the Silver Route, along with other established routes covering the whole area, became extremely important as the main communication channel for the Roman Empire (Spain’s official tourism website).

The Silver Route, The Spanish Via de la Plata
The Spanish Via de la Plata, The Silver Route

A city steeped in history

A statue of Agustus in the museum at the Roman Ruins, Mérida
A statue of Agustus in the museum at the Roman Ruins, Mérida

According to a BBC documentary and Fox News reports, the Tartessos Bronze Age near-mythic advanced society covered a huge area of the southern Iberian Peninsula and disappeared some 2,500 years ago. It is thought they were rich in resources and technologies and appear to have succumbed to earthquakes and Tsunamis which ‘destroyed coastal settlements and demoralized survivors’.

The semi-circular seating arena at the Roman Theatre complex, Mérida
The semi-circular seating arena at the Roman Theatre complex, Mérida

From the 1st to the 9th century, new roads and trails were built on the Via de la Plata and gained importance during medieval times when these trails became livestock tracks when moving flocks to new pastures. It is said that the route took on exceptional historical and artistic significance due to the art and civilization created along its length with the construction of cities, temples, aqueducts and bridges, arches and forts; thereby, contributing to the development of a rich architectural tradition, craft work. and folklore (Spain’s official tourism website).

Arriving in Mérida

Part of the Roman Theatre entrance ways, Mérida
Part of the Roman Theatre entrance ways, Mérida

Arriving in this amazing city we drove around seeking our accommodation and found ourselves in an interesting maze of one-way streets with roadworks. Finally we made contact with our host and met him on a street, where he guided us as to where we first needed to go to unpack the car and then where to park it for our time in Mérida. The walk back to our accommodation ‘The Aquaforum’ felt like it took forever as we weaved from the city streets into the narrower lanes of the older part of town where we were staying. What a drama but all part of the adventure of travelling!!

Aquaforum accommodation

http://aquaforumemerita.com/

The Aquaforum is a small boutique hotel with private Roman baths booked for 1-hour and a nice outdoor garden area.

The garden of the AquaForum accommodation, Mérida
The garden of the AquaForum accommodation, Mérida

Beginning our explorations of Mérida

The Temple of Diana, Mérida, during daytime
The Temple of Diana, Mérida

After the adventure of finding our accommodation we had a rest before heading out to explore the local street and find a cafe or restaurant. About 20 meters from our door we came to the first of the famous Roman Ruins – the Temple of Diana. Built in the 1st century, in the reign of Augustus, it has survived the passage of time. The Temple had been a religious building and one of the main functions was to worship the Empire and its emperors. Situated in the ‘forum of the colony’ it was in a prime spot for the city’s public and political activities. According to Spain’s Official Tourism website, “it is considered to be in an exceptional state of preservation”. In its original state, it was flanked by two ponds, with a public platform in front where authorities addressed the public. Religious ceremonies were held outside. Built from granite sourced from local quarries, it was then covered in plaster and surrounded by columns on all sides. It was accessed by monumental steps, now lost to time.

The Temple of Diana, Mérida, close up to show how high those pillars are
The Temple of Diana, Mérida

Dedicated to Rome and the emperor, in the 17th century it became known as the Temple of Diana. It was then abandoned in the 5th century due to the invasion in 410AD by the East Germanic group, the Visigoths, and, later, the Arabs who created buildings around the temple. At the end of the 15th century, a palace house was built inside the structure. It has been excavated and restored on several occasions and now the archaeological remains bear witness to the Roman Forum’s change over time.

Manfred and Teresa in front of the Temple of Diana, Mérida
Manfred and Teresa in front of the Temple of Diana, Mérida

Gastronomic delights!

The menu for the Tabula Calda Restaurant Mérida
The menu for the Tabula Calda Restaurant Mérida

Following this short exploration, in the mid-afternoon heat, we found a restaurant that we wanted to ‘check out’ for dinner.

We then bought groceries at a small local supermarket and went back to our apartment where we rested in the garden. We read about Mérida and decided what ruins we would explore on this short visit and enjoyed just being in the environs of this ancient city packed full, like a museum, of places to be explored amidst the busy, modern but small city.

Decorations in the Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
Decorations in the Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
Local cultural cooking dish and copper pot at the Tabula Calda Restaurant Mérida
Local cultural cooking dish and copper pot at the Tabula Calda Restaurant Mérida

UNESCO – World Heritage City

The museum garden behind the Roman Theatre, Mérida
The museum garden behind the Roman Theatre, Mérida

According to Spain’s Official Tourism website, Mérida, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage city, is considered ancient. It was founded by the Romans in 25BC and was known as ‘Emerita Augusta’. It is one of the largest archaeological sites in Spain and consists of the Roman Theater, the Roman Amphitheater, the Roman Circus, and the Los Milagros Aqueduct, as well as the Temple of Diana. Although these are just some of the sites that have notoriety, there are no doubt many more to be discovered, uncovered, and described for future travellers to enjoy.

Outside the main arena at the Roman Ruins with museum pieces on display, Mérida
Outside the main arena at the Roman Ruins with museum pieces on display, Mérida

Mérida, as a Roman Colony, came into being under the order of the emperor to serve as a retreat for the veteran soldiers of the legions, who were called emeritus. In the 4th century, it was treated with the comforts of a large Roman City and many invasions followed as Mérida moved into the modern world and the city as it is today.

Mérida has been populated since prehistoric times as evidenced by jewellery retrieved from a girl’s grave during excavation in 1870. These pieces are now held in a museum. During the 19th century, numerous monuments both in the city of Mérida and in Extremadura were damaged or destroyed. The city later underwent industrialisation and became a railway hub.

Roman Ruins near the ampitheratre, Mérida
Roman Ruins near the ampitheratre, Mérida

Exploring the Roman Amptheatre and Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre from at the top of the steps and walkway, Mérida
The Roman Theatre from at the top of the steps and walkway, Mérida

The following day we met our friend Javier at the ruins of the Amphitheater and the Roman Theatre and we spent the day exploring, reading the information boards, and chatting.

Javier and Manfred talking outside of the Roman Theatre along with guided groups, Mérida
Javier and Manfred talking outside of the Roman Theatre along with guided groups, Mérida
Roman theatre and information boards showing what the area was like in 1910, Mérida
Roman theatre and information boards showing what the area was like in 1910, Mérida

It was amazing to be in the ruins and feel the atmosphere that has been maintained so modern visitors can get a feel for the ancientness of this area. The arena is quite large and the columns very high; with the amphitheater, built in about 8BC constructed to hold 15,000-16,000 people. These people came to watch the gladiators fight one another and the animals put up for battle – not a pretty idea.

Inside the Roman Ampitheatre, Mérida
Inside the Roman Ampitheatre, Mérida
Teresa at the Roman Ruins complex, Mérida
Teresa at the Roman Ruins complex, Mérida

The semicircle seating area of the theatre faced the stage or platform where parades and shows were presented among other entertainment for the masses. It was built to hold 6,000 people. Up behind the highest seats in the theatre, archaeological excavations continue and we stopped to observe the work they were doing. We moved from one area to another enjoying the variety of exhibitions and descriptions, the statues, and the pathways.

The arena area was very hot and after exploring for a few hours we decided to go to a nearby restaurants where we enjoyed nice food, wine, and beer. On return to our accommodation, we took a long rest, sat in the garden, and eventually had our long-anticipated time in the Roman Baths situated right in our building. The atmosphere was set with candles and bathrobes but, unfortunately, the water was not very warm and we only lasted about 20 minutes. Feeling disappointed with this turn of events we again sat in the garden to warm up.

The Roman Bath in our accommodation AquaForum, Merida
The Roman Bath in our accommodation AquaForum, Merida

Dinner at Tabula Calda

In the Tabula Calda Restaurant, the owner opening wine for our dinner with Javier, Mérida
In the Tabula Calda Restaurant, the owner opening wine for our dinner with Javier

Later that evening we were joined by Javier for a beautiful dinner at the ‘Tabula Calda’, advertised on their website as a ‘Traditional Cuisine Restaurant in Mérida’.

https://www.tabulacalda.es/es/

Javier and Manfred toasting our meeting in Mérida, at Tabula Calda Restaruant
Javier and Manfred toasting our meeting in Mérida, at Tabula Calda Restaruant

The bar and tables within the lovely Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
The bar and tables within the lovely Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida

Sometime later, we wandered back to our hotel in the balmy night air, stopping to admire the Temple of Diana beautifully lit up for the enjoyment of travellers such as us.

The Temple of Diana lit up at night, Mérida
The Temple of Diana lit up at night, Mérida

We bid farewell to Javier and thanked him for making the journey from Seville to spend time with us on that lovely day.

Javier and Manfred saying farewell outside the AquaForum, Mérida
Javier and Manfred saying farewell outside the AquaForum, Mérida

Our final hours in Mérida

The following morning we went out to find coffee and food. We happened upon a small cafe restaurant whose speciality is croissants, freshly baked right there in the cafe. We ordered ours and ate with great gusto because they were so tasty.

The Croissant shop menu cover near our apartment in Mérida
The Croissant shop menu cover near our apartment in Mérida

We took a walk around the Plaza de Espana and Santa Maria la Mayor cathedral area, a beautiful old plaza with some areas under renovation.

Due to no photo’s, please check out this plaza on this site:

https://meridavisitas.com/en/plaza-de-espana-in-merida/

We were unable to see into the cathedral as it was too early in the day and we needed to pack, get our car, and start finding our way out of the maze of one-way streets we had entered just 2-days before.

Churros & Chocolate dessert at Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida
Churros & Chocolate dessert at Tabula Calda Restaurant, Mérida

We managed to get out onto the highway and started driving south with a plan to bypass Seville and move towards the east as we travelled on to our destination of Benalmadena on the Andalusian coast near Malaga. Andalusia is a favourite region in Spain for us and we felt quite at home as we crossed out of Extremadura and into the familiarity of white villages, flamenco, and the sparkling ocean of the Mediterranean.

Benalmadena, the Mediterranean & flying out to the UK

The view from our hotel balcony towards the Mediterranean at Benalmadena
The view from our hotel balcony towards the Mediterranean at Benalmadena

After our night on the coast in a beautiful boutique hotel nestled among narrow cobbled streets and restaurants, we flew out of Spain to London to continue our travels outside of New Zealand. Travel with us on our next adventure – coming soon!

Memories of the Roman’s & great views leaving Malaga

#travel #traveltheworld #worldtraveler #lettheadventurebegin #extremadura #spain #caceres #naturaleza #extremaduraturismo #photography #nature #extremadurafotos #photooftheday #natura #naturephotography #landscape #fotografia #naturelovers #instagood #beautiful #art #animals #landscapephotography  #travelgram #architecture #merida #extremadura #spain #photooftheday #instagood #photography #españa #love #mérida #picoftheday #travelling #art #happy #photo #total_extremadura #emeritaaugusta #estaes_extremadura #tourism #travellingram #style #instatravel #meridaenamora #traveller #travelgram #trip #europe #loves_extremadura

2 thoughts on “Series Spain: Regions of Spain Unexplored By Us – Mérida, City of Monuments and Roman Ruins”

  1. While I am ‘geographically challenged’, I so love your story telling and the beautiful photos 🥰💖🤗✨

    1. Thankyou Carolyn – that is why we add the maps – at viewers request to see where we are at! thankyou!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.