Casa del Anfiteatro

The site known as the Casa del Anfiteatro (House of the Amphitheatre) and offers the opportunity to discover a Roman dwelling. Especially noteworthy are its 700m2 of mosaics representing fish, such as sole or grouper, and grape harvesting scenes. The house belonged to an olive oil merchant and was just off the walls of Emerita Augusta.

The visit allows to appreciate the two different living areas in two separate dwellings (rooms, corridors, courts) as well as a section of the walks, the defensive moat, a tower for keeping water, a section of the piping leading the San Lázaro aqueduct and a large funerary area, including a mausoleum with a marble arch representing the two rivers of Mérida The Guadiana (Ana, in Latin) River and the Albarregas (Barraeca) River.

Its reopening in in July 2020 after several years of archaeological and restoration works, this venue further expands the tourist office of Mérida, a city classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is on the list of essential places to visit on any visit to Mérida, along with the theatre and amphitheatre and the National Museum of Roman Art.

The Consorcio de la Ciudad de Mérida offers a joint ticket for the three monuments and more; it also includes the Roman circus, the Casa de Mitro, the Alcanzaba, the crypt of the church of Santa Eulalia and the archaeological site on the ancient Arab quarter, the Morería, among others.

Pictures: Junta de Extremadura and Ayuntamiento de Mérida.