BOOK TOWERS OF MERIDA, EXTREMADURA

Las Siete Sillas ( the seven seats), are situated in the gardens in front of the library by the river in Merida. 

These massive granite towers are furnished with giant bronze tomes and sheaves of bronze documents, heavy reads indeed!

The monolithic sculptures are by Ruffino Mesa, a sculptor, artist and writer born in Badajoz in 1948 http://www.lacomella.org/es/escultura/escultura  for more information on his marvellous works.

The inspirtion for Las siete sillas was from the legend of the seven seats at the Roman theatre in the ancient city of Merida. The theatre was left abandoned after the Christian powers overcame the Roman administration in about 400 AD. The pagan Roman ways were swept away and theatre performances were considered a danger to the new morals. Over the centuries the theatre construction was buried by earth and much of the stone looted for new construction but seven rocks remained above the ruins, named the seven seats and according to legend where the Moorish conquerers sat to discuss the future of the city at the end of the 9th century.

The sculptures were started in 1990 and erected in 2000, in the video it is clear that the now pleasant and extensive green gardens by the river were a barren waste in 2000.  Thanks to progressive town planning several urban projects were began 15 years ago including much tree planting and some iconic buildings and structures by prestigious Spanish architects, the span of Calatrava's signature bridge can be seen in the background .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Calatrava 
A walk along the river is really interesting, park on the west side of the river in new Merida and walk over the 2000 year old Roman bridge into the old town passing by the Alcazaba.

 

PROSERPINA - A ROMAN WATER RESERVOIR NEAR MERIDA

modernistic chapel in the pine woods

The embalse or reservoir is about 5 km from Mérida. Originally it was built at the site of a natural lake, the Romans captured the water from two streams and built a long stone dam to create the reservoir which we see today. A dedication stone with an exhortation to the godess Proseprina was found at the lake in the 18th century confirming the original Roman name for the reservoir.
It is a short detour on the way into Merida from Finca al-manzil, well sign posted.

The dam wall is made of clay and concrete and covered with granite ashlars forming a slope. It must have been a considerable engineering feat to channel the captured fresh water into the town through large hydraulic pipes and finally the Los Milagros aqueduct which is still largely intact.

The peaceful environment of the embalse  is a natural attraction for many species of birds,  especially the aquatic varieties which thrive on the varied fish and crayfish clearly visable in the shallow water of the shore.

 

An important and interesting Roman site; Proserpina was the essential fresh water source for Emerita Augusta which became one of the most imposing Roman cities in Iberia.

The reservoir is set in the middle of an Extremadura landscape of cork oak and holm oak woods, pasture for sheep and pigs, vast views. It's a man made environment, not a natural lake, but it still makes an impressive vista, an unexpected expanse of water in the typical landscape.

 Within the last 20 years it has been developed as a natural leisure area with water sports, fishing and a cycling/ walking path around the entire reservoir. The water is very clean, swimming is delightful.

 It's a good place to take children, they can  run around and explore the natural environment as well as the other attractions,  there are pedal boats for hire which may be a fun and safe diversion.

Several pleasant waterside cafès provide light meals, drinks and snacks all year around, open for lunch and dinner until 20.30 or 21.00 at weekends.

 

 

Merida Theatre Festival 2013

 

 

 

We are in full summer mode and that means it's HOT and also that it's time for the stupendous Merida Festival again  http://www.festivaldemerida.es/

How exceptionally lucky we are to have this going on just 30 minutes away. The cream of Spanish artists in dance and drama, superb productions all set in a roman theatre which was constructed in   15 BC...............yes that's 2028 years old.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_theatre_(M%C3%A9rida)
One enters the theatre on the original paving stones, very irregular, don't wear high heels........but it IS amazing to see the terminally afflicted Spanish fashion victims managing to still look stunning whilst negotiating this life threatening feat with total elegance. It's all magic, the lighting, the thrill of sitting on the original stone seats (with cushion) and the marvellous stage waiting for the drama, hundreds of frantically moving fans battling against the sultry evening temperatures.
We went to the opening performance, Medea, Seneca version but preformed as a ballet by the superb  Ballet Nacional de España with a production created 30 years ago with the legendary team
Choreography, José Granero ; Music, Manolo Sanlúcar; Costumes, Miguel Narro. Flemenco naturally.

The Orchestra of Extremadura was superb with a special mention for the invited guitarists.
What a great evening!  Prepare for a long evening, the performance starts at 10.45 and we arrived home at about 2.30............well allowing for some much needed refreshment under the stars of a perfect Extremaduran night and the very welcome cooling mist sprays that a lot of bars have now installed.
In fact we have just installed one at Finca al-manzil..........it's bliss!

ROMAN MERIDA - WHAT YOU CAN SEE TODAY

Mérida is the capital of Extremadura, it is 40kms to the West of Finca al-manzil, we are very lucky to have this amazing UNESCO site so near. It has the best ensemble of Roman buildings besides Rome itself. Today it lies on both sides of the Guadiana river but originally it was built on the Eastern side approached by an impressive bridge spanning the highest navigable point of the river, know as River Anas in Roman times (Anas was adopted by the Moors who were in power from the 8th century to the 13th century, they called it Wadi Anna, wadi meaning river in Arabic, the name became Odiana and finally Guadiana in Spanish and Portuguese)
Emerita Augusta was originally created as a retirement settlement for esteemed Roman soldiers hence the name.... emerita in Latin means one who has merit and emeritus so Emerita Augusta means that it was a city founded in time of Augustus with mainly retired soldiers and officials who settled in the town in exchange for giving the category of roman citizens to all the inhabitants. In Spanish and English emeritus means retired ("Profesor Emérito" and "Emeritus Professor" a retired professor). As time passed on the name mutated becoming Mérida, losing the initial "E" and changing the "t" for a "d".
It became the largest and most important Roman city in the Iberian Peninsula with all the grand edifices important to a Roman city administrating a vast area. Many sites have been excavated in recent times and in some cases reconstructed giving us a better idea of the layout of the city.
It is a fascinating place to explore by foot, architecture from Mérida’s long history is in evidence everywhere but the Roman monuments are unique in Europe and it is because of these exceptional monuments that Merida became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1993.

THE THEATRE
The most impressive of all the monuments due to its careful excavation in 1910, reconstruction from 1964 and a spectacular venue for the Festival of Classic Theatre since 1933. It was Consul Marcus Agrippa who initiated the building of the theatre between 16 and 15 B.C. using it as a means of promoting Roman culture it seated 6,000 spectators. With the coming of Christianity in the 4th century the theatre fell into disuse as theatrical performances were then considered immoral and the profession of actor was banned. Over many centuries the structure crumbled and tumbled so that all that remained visible were the upper section of seating which had the appearance of seven massive chairs….the seven chairs where, according to legend, sat seven Moorish kings deciding the fate of the city.

THE AMPHITHEATRE
From evidence of inscriptions the amphitheatre was inaugurated in 8 B.C. It was used for staging gladiatorial combats and fights between animals or men and animals, together with circus performances the entertainments preferred by the public. As with the theatre the amphitheatre was abandoned with the coming of Christianity, much of the structure buried and the remaining stones used as a supply for new buildings. Excavations began in 1919 revealing much of the original structure. The large cross shaped ditch in the centre of the arena is thought to have been planked over and used for keeping the wild animals. One of the small rooms off the lower passageway was appropriately dedicated to the cult of the goddess Nemesis.

THE BRIDGE
The Roman bridge was the longest in Lusitania with 64 stone arch spans, it has been much renovated through the ages but is basically the same structure that was started 2033 years ago at the founding of Emerita Augusta in 25 B.C. at the end of the Lusitania campaigns. It continued to be the main entrance into the city from the west until the 1980s when a new bridge alleviated most of the heavy usage.

Finally in 1993 the Roman bridge was beautifully renovated and preserved for pedestrian use only. This also coincided with the opening of an elegant new bridge, the Lusitania designed by Santiago Calatrava and the well deserved entry of Merida as a UNESCO site because of its outstanding architectural ensemble.

THE AQUEDUCTS AND RESERVOIRSThe question of fresh water supply was one of the most important in the planning of Emerita. Two reservoirs were built within 8kms of the city with the water transported to various water towers by 2 aqueducts. The San Lázaro was renovated in the 16th century and followed the Roman course bringing the water from several streams and springs from the Cornalvo reservoir. The Los Milagros brought the water from the Proserpina reservoir to the city by underground conduits and from a filter station up to the aqueduct which runs for 830m with a max. height of 25m. Built at the earliest settlement of Emerita in the late 1st century. There is another Roman reservoir and aqueduct 15kms north east of Merida in the Cornalvo nature reserve.

TEMPLE OF DIANA
A 16th century palace was built by the Count of Los Corbos within the pillars of the temple, fortunately this helped to preserve the structure. Excavation started in 1972 which helped to establish that this was one of the oldest Roman structures and the only surviving example of religious architecture in Merida. It was built at the end of the 1st C. The exterior facade faced the forum and was flanked by two ponds and water channels. A few of the 16th c. palace rooms can be seen at the back of the temple adding a surreal idea of architecture through the ages with traces of mudéjar style in the windows and double gallery.

TRAJAN’S ARCH

Possibly built in the time of Trajan as an entrance to a sacred precinct. It is 15m. high with huge granite blocks which must have been clad in marble judging by the holes in the stone. Probably as a link between two forums, provincial and municipal.

THE CIRCUS
A huge circus area built just outside the city walls in the first years of the 1st century. It measures 440m long by 115m wide covering 30,000m2. The stands were built for 30,000 spectators. Chariot races were held using either 2 or 4 horses and usually 7 laps. Enthusiasm for this type of entertainment was reflected in many works of art with circus motifs, painting, sculpture, pottery, mosaics and precious metal representing horses with their names recorded and the charioteers carrying the victory palm. One of the most famous in Rome was the Lusitanian Caius Apuleius Diocles, his career probably started in the circus of Emerita. The last recorded renovation of the circus was in the time of Constantine’s son 337 -340 A.D. It soon fell into decline with the establishment of Christianity and the ban of the occupations of charioteer and actor. Only the barest outline of the circus remains today.

MITHRAEUM HOUSE
Possibly a shrine to Mithras but more likely a domus ,a noble family residence. Built outside the city wall near the present day bullring, probably in the 1st c. but with many alterations through the centuries. As with all homes of this type it was richly decorated with painted walls and mosaics and many outside spaces or atriums. The rooms are arranged around 3 patios. Some rooms for family use and some for receiving guests. Several underground rooms maybe summer bedrooms. The baths have pools decorated with mosaics of floral and geometric motifs , a vaulted roof painted with fish.

MORERÍA
The excavation of this site near the river has provided much information about the city’s evolution. The situation near the river and the bridge have ensured constant occupation through the centuries from Roman, Visigothic, Islamic, Medieval and up to contemporary times. Still in place are 200m. of the original city wall. Four original Roman streets can be seen running down to the river with a street running across them. The streets were flanked by arcades for pedestrian use supported by granite columns. Bounded by the wall and the streets there are 6 blocks in which 13 large dwellings have been partially or completely identified. Usually single storey around a central patio. Visigoth building can also be identified. Around the 8th century Morería was totally destroyed in order to create a clear space towards the river for defence against the Moorish army, after a long siege they eventually occupied the city in 713. In the 9th c. Morería was expanding again with 6 large buildings identified. Following the reconquest by Christian armies in 1230 the knights of Santiago were in control of the city and the surrounding area. It was decided to restrict the remaining Islamic population to an area outside the city’s defences giving rise to the suburb of la morería , the Moorish quarter a name it retains today.
From the end of the 15th century until the 17th century it was an artisans area and then became a stockyard and slaughterhouse area until the end of the 19th century.
At the end of the 1980s the area was selected as the site for the new Junta de Extremadura building. In order to preserve the archaeological site the whole building was designed on tall pillars allowing access to the layers of history revealed below.

The National Museum of Roman Art
http://museoarteromano.mcu.es/investigacion_proyectos_museo_merida.html

The National Museum of Roman Art is one of the finest museums of its kind in the world, not only for its collection, but also due to the actual building itself designed by José Rafael Moneo. It is built over what was a residential area in the Roman City of Emérita Augusta. The lower section of the museum is itself an ongoing archaeological dig-site of Roman streets, and tombs. The Museum is designed as one large hall divided into 10 sections over 3 floors that houses more than 37,000 pieces taken from different areas throughout the city. Works include sculptures, religious artifacts, utensils, ceramics, glassworks and mosaics.
José Rafael Moneo is above all an architect of tremendous range. His flexibility in varying the appearance of his works based on their differing contexts is reflected in the way he takes on each new commission as a fresh new exercise. He draws on an incredible reservoir of concepts and ideas, which he filters through the specifics of the site, the purpose, the form, the climate, and other circumstances of the project. As a result, each of his buildings is unique but instantly recognizable as being from his palette. The primary goal was to build a museum that would offer people an opportunity to understand aspects of the town's Roman heritage. Without falling into a strict imitation of Roman architecture, Moneo adopted the Roman construction system - massive masonry-bearing walls filled with concrete. Other Roman building techniques, materials, and proportions were utilized as well, prominence was given to construction as an expression of architecture itself. The materiality of the Roman brick wall becomes, finally, the most important feature in the architecture of the museum.
The main exhibition hall is traversed by a series of parallel walls that have been opened with towering arches. The perspective view through the arches reveals the scale of the building and expresses the continuity of the space therein. These walls also define lateral bays for the display of some of the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection. The walls function as partitions, on which are hung cornices, capitals, mosaics, and fragments of statuary. These surfaces are not considered to be mere neutral supports for the objects; rather, the translucent white marble of the relics may be seen in subtle interplay with the brick walls. Natural light, another fundamental concern in the museum's design, enters through skylights above and windows set high in the facades. The constantly changing intensity and colour of the light contributes to the dialogue between the works of art and the building itself.

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