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, these being Legio V Alaudae, Legio X Gemina, and possibly Legio XX Valeria Victrix. The city, one of the largest in Hispania, was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, controlling an area of over 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi). It had three aqueducts and two fora.
Roman theater in Mérida
Augusta Emerita. The theater and amphitheater are visible to the right, along the city wall.
Roman Amphitheatre
Roman bridge at Merida seen from the Alcazaba
Mérida is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Province of Badajoz, and capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Located in the western-central part of the Iberian Peninsula at 217 metres above sea level, the city is crossed by the Guadiana and Albarregas rivers. The population was 60,119 in 2017.
Image: Ancient Roman theatre in Mérida 2023
Image: Interior of the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano
Image: Acueducto "Los Milagros" Mérida (Badajoz, España)
Image: Roman Bridge of Mérida 2023
