Art and culture
Roman theatre of Mérida
The town of Mérida contains one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, of which the Roman theatre forms part.
- Explore
- Roman theatre of Mérida
A World Heritage Site and the town's main tourist attraction.
Location and Contact:
- Contact person: Consorcio Ciudad Monumental de Mérida
- Tel.:+34 924 00 49 08
- Tel.:+34 924 33 07 22
- Fax: +34 924 00 49 16
- Email: informacion@consorciomerida.org
- Email: difusion@consorciomerida.org
- Website address: www.consorciomerida.org/
- Website address: turismomerida.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeridaConsorcioDeLaCiudadMonumental
- Opening times
April-September: 9am - 9pm.
October-March: 9am - 6:30pm.
- Fee
Normal €12, reduced €6, groups €7.
More info: tickets
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The town of Mérida contains one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, of which the Roman theatre forms part.
Over the years 15 and 16 BC Marcus Agrippa promoted the construction of a theatre in the town of Augusta Emerita. A space that originally had a capacity for 6,000 spectators, and where the Romans enjoyed staged games.
Towards the end of the 1st century AD and the beginning of the second century AD, the theatre was refurbished several times, and the current façade or stage front was built along with the road around the monument. The building is comprised of a semicircular grandstand made of Roman concrete and clad in granite. The stage for the performances is at the front, paved in marble, as well as three doors and several statues.
The theatre and the amphitheatre are part of the archaeological site of Mérida, one of the most important and largest in Spain, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
Every summer the theatre is the venue for the performances of the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival. An event that brings all the splendour and its original function back to this Roman building which can now seat 3,000 people.
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- Origin:
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- 1st century BC
- Construction:
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- Theatre
- Art period:
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- Roman
- Period in history:
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- 1st century BC
- 1st century
- 2nd century
- 3rd century
- 4th century
- 5th century
- Official name :
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- World Heritage Site
Accessibility:
- Disabled access
- Accessible facilities and common areas
Services:
- Guided Tours
Gallery:
More suggestions
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Roman amphitheatre of Mérida
The setting for fights between gladiators and wild beasts in Roman times, a large part of the structure of this amphitheatre is preserved intact today.
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Los Milagros Roman Aqueduct
This partially preserved massive aqueduct was one of the large works at Emerita Augusta for supplying water to the city.
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Roman Temple of Diana
It is a beautiful religious Roman building, very well preserved, that is part of Mérida's archaeological ensemble.
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Roman bridge on the Guadiana River
In the city of Mérida, on one of the most shallow sections of the Guadiana River, we find a bridge built in the 1st century, at the same time as the foundation of Emerita Augusta. Thanks to its large size and features it is one of the most important Roman bridges in the Peninsula.
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House of Mitreo
A dwelling from Roman times, built on the outskirts of Emerita Augusta, where luxury and comfort were not lacking.
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Morerías Archaeological Zone
Find out how the town of Mérida developed from Roman times to the Visigoth era.
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Roman Circus
Discover one of the most magnificent circuses in the Roman Empire and one of the best preserved.
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National Roman Art Museum in Mérida
The National Roman Art Museum (MNAR) shows the visitor different sides of daily life in the province of Hispania.
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Extremadura Geology Museum
Its collection has made this museum one of the most important of its kind.
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Museum of Visigoth Art and Culture
The collection of Visigoth pieces in this museum brings together relics from Mérida from the 4th-8th centuries, as the capital of the Diocesis Hispaniarum and as the metropolitan capital of the province of Lusitania
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Museum of Mérida
The Museum of the Town of Mérida houses a collection on the Mérida-born sculptor and other pieces that take one on a route through the town's history.
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Xenodoquio
This 6th-century Visigothic architectural site was used as a hostel and hospital by pilgrims and the poor.
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Church cathedral of Santa María la Mayor
The successor of the former cathedral, the church cathedral of Santa María la Mayor is in the town of Mérida, in the middle of the Plaza de España.
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Conventual Santiaguista de Mérida
On your tour of Mérida you can include a visit to this 15th-century building which now houses the presidency of the government of Extremadura.
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Ice well
Ever since its remains were found in 1920, the ruin known as El Pozo de la Nieve (the ice well) in Mérida has been the object of research in order to find out what the real reason for its construction was.
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Temple of imperial Worship
Archaeological remains can be admired from the street at all times.
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Casa del Anfiteatro
This is a wonderful example of a Roman dwelling complete with mosaics and frescoes. It is open for visit and very close to the Mérida Amphitheatre and the National Museum of Roman Art (MNAR).