For the Empire, keeping Roman citizens happy was essential, which is why they gave a lot of importance to show buildings. In the case of Augusta Emerita, the capital of Lusitania, there was no exception. To demonstrate it, our tour begins in the Margarita Xirgu square, where the theatre and amphitheatre are located.

The visit will begin by accessing the Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre (inside) . In the first place, we will enter through the “vomitorium” to access the cavea/stand to find out how the spectators were distributed according to their social rank. Another of the outstanding parts in this building is the “orchestra”, where the choir was placed, in addition to the stage, the place where the performances took place. Behind the stage, the majestic scenic front rises, the most recognisable symbol of the city of Mérida.

We cannot forget the International Classical Theatre Festival that is currently taking place in this building, telling how it came about and to whom it is due. Next to the theatre, we will also visit the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, which, although it does not resemble the Colosseum in Rome in size, has nothing to envy it, since the well-known gladiator fights also took place here.

We will access the amphitheatre arena to get an idea of how those gladiator fights, so important and acclaimed by the citizens of the colony, took place. The fight between these gladiators gained more popularity when wild beasts were added to them.