Places of Interest in Spain

The Roman Theatre of Merida

Mérida is the capital of the Western Spanish autonomy of Estremadura, situated between the community of Madrid and Portugal, and it has some 55,000 inhabitants.

It is also the home of one of the world’s best preserved Roman theatres, el Teatro de Mérida.

El teatro de Mérida was constructed in the year 16 or 15 BC by the Roman consul Marco Agripa. Back then Mérida was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, the most important province in the Spanish part of the Roman Empire. The city itself was considered the ninth most important in the Roman Empire, before even Athens!

It was logical that a big theatre should be constructed in this very important Roman city. Its design followed the traditional Roman style, and the stands could seat 5,800 spectators. It was constructed in a semi-circle and it measured almost 96 metres in diametre, and down the bottom just in front of the stage there is a semi-circle with a diametre of 30 metres which was reserved for the orchestra and the VIPs. The acoustics are said to be amazing, with it being possible to hear even a whisper from the stage at every spot of the stands.

The most famous feature of the theatre is the front of the stage itself with its tall corinthian columns. This was erected late in the first century or early in the second under the emperor Trajano. There are no records of what the original stage front looked like.

The stage is 7.5 metres deep and 63 metres long. The columns reach a height of 17.5 metres. Their bases and cornices are made of marble. In between the columns there are various statues and sculptures.

When Christianity took hold of Spain and it was generally considered that all things entertainment and theatre were sinful, the theatre was filled in with earth and only the top of the back of the stands was visible.This consisted of seven blocks of stone, and they became known as ‘Las Siete Sillas’ – the seven chairs. In centuries to come the Moorish kings would sit on these ‘chairs’ and listen to their subjects’ complaints and disputes.

The theatre remained thus until the beginning of the 20th century, when it was escavated and restored, if not to its former glory, then certainly to a high standard. And this was also when life returned to the stage.

Ever since then, the ‘Festival de Teatro Clásico de Mérida’ has been celebrated regularly with visits by actors and musicians from all over the world. This year the 54th festival was celebrated over the months of July and August, giving people the chance to experience the theatre, not just as a historical monument, but as what it was meant for, a very special setting for a great day or night out!