The Roman Provincial Forum is an archaeological area in
Mérida, Spain
Mérida () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Province of Badajoz, and capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Located in the western-central part of the Iberian Peninsula at 217 metres above sea level, the city is cros ...
, built in the 1st century AD. It was a public area of the Roman city of
Emerita Augusta, founded in 25 BC. The title of "provincial" came from the city's role as the capital of the
province of Lusitania. Together with the
Roman Forum and other Roman edifices in the city, it was inscribed in the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 1993.
The temple received a massive marble decoration during the reign of the emperor
Claudius.
Description
The Forum consisted of a large square sided by a monumental portico, with a large temple in the center, which was accessed through the Arch of Trajan.
Edifices included:
*triumphal Arch of Tiberius, situated at the end of the ''
cardo maximus
A cardo (plural ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Roman cities and military camps as an integral component of city planning. The cardo maximus, or most often the ''cardo'', was the main or central north–south-oriented street.
...
'' (the main road of Emerita Augusta). Built of granite, it is 13.97 m. It was originally covered with marble.
*a temple built under the reign of
Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
External links
Official Mérida webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Provincial Forum (Merida)
Merida Provincial
Forum, Mérida Provincial
Roman Forum, Provincial
Roman Forum, Provincial
Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century
1st-century establishments in the Roman Empire
Roman Forum, Provincial