Roman Amphitheatre

The Amphitheatre of Mérida is situated in the Roman colony of Emerita Augusta, present-day Mérida, in Spain. The city itself, Emerita Augusta, was founded in 25 BC by Augustus, to resettle emeritus soldiers discharged from the Roman army from two veteran legions of the Cantabrian Wars (the Legio V Alaudae and Legio X Gemina). The amphitheatre itself was completed in 8 BC. The term emeritus refers to the soldiers, all of whom had been honorably discharged from service.

The amphitheatre had a capacity of approximately 15,000 spectators and had supporting stairs and hallways (scalae) that connected the different parts internally.

The amphitheatre is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, which is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.

Address
Calle Pedro María Plano 54, Mérida, Spain

Established
8 BCE