Merida land of Roman Ruins

Merida, Spain – Back in the day as a reward for their loyalty and success, a group of roman military leaders were given permission to build a new city on the Guadiana River. They built a charming city and modeled it after their beloved capitol, Rome. They called their mini Rome Emerita Augusta and though the name has been modified a little over the years, Merida still is home to many roman sites and the power and vision of the men and women who founded the frontier town can still be seen throughout the city and the area around town.

The Temple of Diana - It was built by the Romans as a temple, converted into a christian church by the Visigoths, fell into ruin during the Moorish occupation and then later a Spanish noble family made additions and called it home (you can see the Spanish villa inside the pillars). It is a VERY cool place.

The Temple of Diana - Merida, Spain

The Temple of Diana - As many of you may know, Diana was the Goddess of the Moon. I thought this was a fitting picture of the moon passing through the pillars of Diana's temple. As I thought about that, I realized that the moon had probably passed through that way a many many times over the past 2,000 years. I was lucky enough to be there this time and have my camera ready. :)

The Roman Theater in Merida

The Roman Theater in Merida

I crossed two bridges while in Merida. The first (to the right) is a modern bridge and was very interesting. It has three paths or roads. There is a middle path for pedistrians and two paths one on each side for the automobiles. The modern bridge spans the river in three sections and is pretty cool to look at. The other bridge is the old Roman Bridge. It only has one path, but about 65 arches span the 600 yard river. I think both bridges are attractive, well-built and they offer a great view of each other. :)

The two bridges one modern one ancient

Mosaic floors in Merida

Mosaic floors en Merida