What to do · Mérida
Temple of Diana and Forum Portico
Information
- Price
- On your own · free from outside
- Duration
- 30 min
- Season
- All year
- Who it's for
- Everyone
- With a dog
- On a lead, in the street; not allowed in the enclosures
The Temple of Diana is the only Roman temple in Mérida that keeps a good part of its columns standing, and it does so in the middle of a block of houses: its columns appear among the houses on Calle Romero Leal, a few steps from the centre. Beside it, on Calle Sagasta, the Forum Portico gives an idea of the luxury of the old public square.
A temple that was not Diana's
The name stuck in the 17th century, but today we know it was consecrated to Rome and the Emperor: it was a temple of the imperial cult. It was planned with the square when the city was founded, in the time of Augustus, following the model of the Empire's new cities. It was built of granite from local quarries, covered in stucco, and was surrounded by columns on all sides, on a podium about three metres high. The monumental access staircase has been lost.
The temple presided over the forum of the colony, the great square where politics were conducted, justice was handed down, trade was done and sacrifices were offered. It stood at the head, in a sacred precinct or temenos flanked by two pools, with a platform in front from which the authorities spoke to the citizens.
Why it survived
At the end of the 15th century, Don Alonso Mexía, a knight of the Order of Santiago, built his palace over the temple's remains, the so-called Palace of the Corbos. Paradoxically, that saved it. In 1972 the building was expropriated to recover the temple, and it was decided to keep part of the palace: it keeps a simple doorway, a Gothic-style window and the arcade of a two-storey courtyard that reuses Roman, Visigothic and Islamic columns and capitals.
The Forum Portico
On Calle Sagasta stands a reconstructed front of columns from the portico that surrounded a square adjoining the forum. Look for the clipei, the large medallions, and the caryatids that decorated its upper part.
Hours and price
Temple and portico are seen from the street, free and at any hour, also at night. The temple's interpretation centre opens in winter from 10:00 to 18:30, with access until 18:00, and costs €3; it is included in the Consortium's joint ticket. Allow half an hour for both.
Getting there and what to combine
They are five minutes' walk from Plaza de España, along Calle Santa Catalina: it is the natural walk between the square and the theatre and amphitheatre. Nearby are the Arch of Trajan, where the restaurant A de Arco is, and the Alcazaba with the Roman bridge.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to see the Temple of Diana?
Not to see it from the street. The interpretation centre costs €3 or is on the joint ticket.
Was it dedicated to Diana?
No. It was consecrated to Rome and the Emperor; the popular name dates from the 17th century.
Can you see it at night?
Yes, it is on the street and is lit up.
With a dog
