Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida

The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 (criteria iii and iv), takes in more than 80 monuments across 36.87 hectares. Among the Roman remains are the Roman theatre (sponsored by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, 15-16 BC), the amphitheatre (8 BC), the circus, the Los Milagros and Rabo de Buey–San Lázaro aqueducts, the Arch of Trajan, the Temple of Diana, the Forum Portico, the Roman bridge over the Guadiana (the longest in the Roman world in its day), the Columbarios, the Casa del Mitreo with its celebrated cosmological mosaic, and the Proserpina and Cornalvo reservoirs. The ensemble also includes Visigothic remains (the basilica of Casa Herrera) and Islamic ones (the Arab alcazaba, AD 835).

The city was declared a Historic-Archaeological Ensemble in 1973. The Consorcio de la Ciudad Monumental de Mérida, set up in 1993, manages the conservation, presentation and outreach of the site. The National Museum of Roman Art (Rafael Moneo, 1986) holds one of the most important Hispano-Roman collections in Europe.