Spain · UNESCO World Cultural Heritage series, 18th issue, Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida

Mérida traces its origins to the Roman city of *Emerita Augusta*, which was founded in 25 BC on the orders of Emperor Augustus. It initially served as a settlement for discharged soldiers and became the administrative centre of the Roman province of Lusitania. Its location on the Guadiana and along important transport routes made it a political, economic and cultural centre of the western Iberian Peninsula.

Numerous surviving structures bear witness to this function. The Roman bridge over the Guadiana connected the city to the wider transport network. The theatre and amphitheatre formed an entertainment centre where theatrical performances, games and gladiatorial combats took place. The ensemble also includes the circus for chariot races, remains of aqueducts, roads, residential buildings and temples, as well as parts of the city walls. The so-called Temple of Diana points to the religious architecture of the Roman era; its subsequent incorporation into other buildings also illustrates the transformation of the city.

Mérida remained an important centre after the end of Roman rule. Late Antiquity produced, among other things, evidence of early Christianity and the Visigothic period. During Islamic rule, the city continued to be used and was remodelled. The archaeological remains therefore document not only a single historical period, but also the development of a city over many centuries.

The choice of the motif for a commemorative coin can be explained by this combination of Roman urban planning, preserved monuments and the continued use of the site. The depiction also represents Spain’s archaeological wealth and the lasting influence of Roman civilisation on the Iberian Peninsula. Mérida is particularly suitable as a coin motif because several different forms of construction and use have been preserved within a clearly recognisable historical context.