Temple of Diana

Walk around Mérida and discover its streets and architectural monuments is a true adventure. I know the experience because, while going for a walk one afternoon, we found the Temple of Diana full of people.

Two things stood out to me. One, the temple has been extremely well conserved, especially considering the harsh weather and the abuse of inconsiderate visitors. You have to keep in mind that this monument is from the 1st century A.D.

Two, it’s amazing how a monument like this could be found in the middle of a city. Think about it, there’s people who wake up every morning in Mérida and the first thing they see when looking out their window is this temple.

I was wandering around the busy streets of Mérida and then all of the sudden, the Temple of Diana appeared. It came into sight between the residential buildings, as if the urban planners wanted to put a shop here, an office there, and a temple over there.

I looked and compared it to the other Roman remains I’ve seen. “Here was…” one of the guides says as they look at three rocks still remaining on the ground. In Mérida, everything is present. Everything is still standing and standing within the modern city. Sometimes the ruins are buried, sometimes below new buildings, and others, like in this occasion, it’s a living testament, a standing work of art.