Roman Theatre (Mérida)
Roman theater in Mérida.
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| Official name | Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida |
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Mérida, Badajoz Province, Extremadura, Spain 
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| Coordinates | 38°54′55.4″N 6°20′18.6″W / 38.915389°N 6.338500°W |
| Criteria | iii, iv |
| Inscription | 1993 (17th Session) |
 Location of Roman Theatre
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The Roman Theatre of Mérida is a construction promoted by the consul Vipsanius Agrippa in the Roman city of Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania (current Mérida, Spain). It was constructed in the years 16 to 15 BCE.
The theater has undergone several renovations, notably at the end of the 1st century or early 2nd century CE (possibly during the reign of Emperor Trajan), when the current facade of the scaenae frons was erected, and another in the time of Constantine I (between 330 and 340) which introduced new decorative-architectural elements and a walkway around the monument. Following the theatre's abandonment in Late Antiquity, it was slowly covered with earth, with only the upper tiers of seats (summa cavea) remaining visible. In local folklore the site was referred to as "The Seven Chairs", where, according to tradition, several Moorish kings sat to decide the fate of the city.
The theatre is located in the archaeological ensemble of Mérida, one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. The theatre was located on the edge of the Roman city adjacent the city walls. Some of the seating was built into a hill called the Cerro de San Albin. ola
Constructed in faithful accordance to the rules of the treatises of Vitruvius, the building corresponds to the typical Roman model. The structure exhibits similarities with the theatres of Dougga (Tunisia), Orange (France), Pompeii (Italy) and Rome.
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