Augusta Emerita

Augusta Emerita
Roman theater in Mérida
Augusta Emerita is located in Spain
Augusta Emerita
Shown within Spain
LocationMérida, Extremadura, Spain
RegionLusitania
Coordinates38°55′N 6°20′W / 38.917°N 6.333°W / 38.917; -6.333
TypeSettlement
History
Founded25 BC
CulturesRoman
Official nameArchaeological Ensemble of Mérida
TypeCultural
Criteriaiii, iv
Designated1993 (17th session)
Reference no.664
RegionEurope and North America

Augusta Emerita, also called Emerita Augusta,[1] 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.[citation needed] 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.[2]

Augusta Emerita. The theater and amphitheater are visible to the right, along the city wall.

The city was situated at the junction of several important routes. It sat near a crossing of the Guadiana river. Roman roads connected the city west to Felicitas Julia Olisippo (Lisbon), south to Hispalis (Seville), northwest to the gold mining area, and to Corduba (Córdoba) and Toletum (Toledo).[2]

Today the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.[3]

  1. ^ "City of Emerita Augusta". Spanish Art. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Augusta Emerita". Livius.org. Retrieved Sep 27, 2019.
  3. ^ "Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida". unesco.org. Retrieved Sep 27, 2019.