Merida is the capital of the Extremadura region in Spain. It is a town of about 60,000 people, so still pretty small but large enough to have a reasonable selection of stores and restaurants. It is known for its numerous well preserved Roman ruins. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Go here for more details relating to the pictures below taken at the sites we visited.
Temple of Diana. Originally constructed in the first century AD, it was later incorporated into a 16th century palace so both styles of architecture can be seen at the ruins.
Trojan's Arch
Roman Amphitheatre where chariot races would have been held.
This arch leads out of the Ampitheatre where a path leads to the Roman Theatre.
The Roman Theatre is used for performances during summer. The excavation and reconstruction of the Theatre started in 1910.
Apparently all Roman Theaters have gardens in back of the stage and other structures for relaxation.
The excavated ruins of Amphitheater House, which was several blocks distant from the Amphitheater. It includes a part of the city wall, a section of the San Larazo Aqueduct and remains of a few dwellings and a Mausoleum.
The next stop was the Alcazaba (Moorish Citadel) and Order of Santiago conventuals quarters which always at the entrance to the walled city and the soldiers were stationed there.
We went inside the remains of the old tower and after walking down about
40 steps we came to a pool of water which was the cistern which
supplied the garrison. Today there are goldfish swimming in the water.
The view from the top of the City wall gave us a great view of the Roman bridge we crossed to come into town and the distance we will walk tomorrow.
