Captivating Mérida: Forever Captive "Mérida is now a captive city, but it captivates us as it captivated the Romans...The Christian kings resist strongly from this base..." MÉRIDA From a 13th Century Arab Text And Its Parador M érida was, and to a certain extent still is today, a dividing line between two different but perfectly compatible groups of people. Throughout the course of history, Moors and Christians have lived side by side with Jews, some of whom were faithful converts, others less so. Mérida's origins date back to Neolithic times, probably some 3,000 years before Christ. The most important prehistoric monument is the Lácara dolmen, a megalithic tomb that has been declared a National Monument. The Bronze Age Tesoro de Mérida, a collection of gold rings and bracelets, is currently held in the British Museum. When the Roman conquerors arrived in Mérida, it was populated by warring Vetton and Turdetan tribes, who had frequent confrontations with their Lusitanian neighbors. The town's geographical location made it particularly attractive to the Romans; its flocks already roamed the pastures of the Mesta, the sea was not too far away, and the Lusitanian warriors were a rebel army ripe for conquest. The Romans decided to reinforce their position and consolidate their presence in the province known to the Empire as La Lusitania. The Empire saw Augusta Emerita, today's Mérida, as its frontier base around which to build a strategic city for controlling Hispania. Emérita was considered so important that the Empire's Caesars built a road through it to join the seas to the north and south. This road, known as the Vía de la Plata (literally, "The Silver Route"), has for centuries been the main route from the Atlantic Ocean (Ayamonte) to the Cantabrian Sea (Gijón). It is still approximately the dividing line between the Peninsula's two nations, and the Roman Vía de la Plata is also known as the Raya de Portugal (literally, "The Portuguese Line") because of this. The result is the city of Mérida, the bastion and showcase of the Roman Empire. It holds the best of Roman colonization in its culture, literature, legislation and public buildings -and it has much more to offer than ruins. Visitors to the town detect immediately that it is more than just a museum; it is a living example of what the Roman era was like. At that time, it was considered to be the ninth most important of the Empire's 17 main cities. The Moors would arrive much later. Tradition and legend holds MÉRIDA AND ITS PARADOR 1 that the Visigoths, under Don Rodrigo's command, took refuge in Mérida after their defeat at Guadalete (711). After a long siege, Muza, the Moor's leader, conquered the town, but respected the rights and traditions of its citizens. Long decades of uncertainty followed until the inhabitants decided to move away from the area, leaving it abandoned in the shadows of History until the era of the Catholic Kings. The Habsburg kings also passed through Mérida, leaving very little trace: Carlos I stayed here en route to Seville, and Felipe II is also thought to have stayed a few days, presumably to reflect on the possibilities of annexing Portugal. Not even the Bourbons managed to contribute to improving the living conditions of the townspeople. The Parador of the Vía de la Plata The Hands and Eyes of History oday's traveler has the privilege of staying in the heart of T history, overlooking courtyards and balconies that have one's understanding of the present. witnessed many of the key events that have shaped Western Civilization. The building was designated a Parador in the summer of 1933. Special attention was given to its inauguration and restoration for the Experts claim that these walls, or very similar ones, were first built performance of Medea, immortalized by the legendary figure over one thousand years before Christ. Often as warriors, but always Margarita Xirgú. Many famous personalities, politicians, and artists of as politicians, the ghosts of Romans and Visigoths, Arabs, monks and the period were scheduled to attend, and so the Parador was finished missionaries, noblemen, artists and courtesans, have all walked ahead of schedule to accommodate the event. A special train was run through this building. to bring the famous guests, including Manuel Azaña and Margarita Xirgú, who stayed here together during the event. The Parador has been a convent, a hospital, an asylum, and even a prison. History has decided each purpose for the building that is More recently, the Parador has been visited frequently by the King today the Parador of the Vía de la Plata. and Queen of Spain and by the king's father, Don Juan. Other famous visitors, from many walks of life, include the sculptor Juan de Ávalos, Historians claim that the first people to use this site were the Sandro Pertini, Mario Soares, Fidel Castro, Montserrat Caballé, Roman legions of the Emperor Augustus. They had a long, pleasant Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, the Baron and Baroness Von stay here working on the strategy for Thyssen, Charlton Heston and other establishing Augusta Emerita as the famous personalities. capital of Lusitania. This is estimated to have happened in the 1st century These walls, courtyards, and B.C., and explains why Mérida is passages hold innumerable memories, often referred to as the "eyes of some invisible, some romantic, secret history." or public, and even political...Franco and Salazar met here on many Many famous and also unknown occasions. travelers, such as Amador de los Ríos and Larra, have come here to The building was first a provincial contemplate the past and understand Roman forum and also Temple of history better, to reflect quietly. Not Concord, located next to the Arch of only does this act of reflection help Trajan; the Arch still stands just a few visualize the past, it also improves meters from the Parador. It was subsequently a Visigoth basilica and, 2 MÉRIDA AND ITS PARADOR later, a mosque built by the Moorish conquerors. is highly recommended. It was recovered for Christendom well into the But as often happens, harder times were to Middle Ages and converted into the Parish of come. During the War of Independence, the Santiago. religious order felt obliged to leave, due to political and social pressures. Later, in the early the 17th century, the Convent of Jesus was set up by the Order of Santa This is the background to what is now the Clara as a hospice. The Third Order of St. Francis Parador. It has served a variety of purposes, as was subsequently delegated to govern it. The dictated by the necessities and trends of the hospital was designed at that time so that patients times, including as a home for the poor (after could follow the Holly Mass held in the adjoining the Disposal of Institutional Lands of 1839), a church from their beds. This church is now the hospital, and an asylum in the times when Salón Capilla, and is used by visitors as a place asylums were little more than jails. for refreshment, as a meeting place, or simply to contemplate history. If travelers have time, this Parador is worth a long stay - simply for the pleasure of the stay In the 18th century, the building was converted itself, or as a way to relive history. into an "Antiques Garden", which was the fashion of the time. Some of these treasures are now on display in the National Museum of Roman Art. A visit to the museum A Walk Trhough The Empire 1. National Museum of Roman Art. 13 12 14 2. Roman Theatre. From 1615 B.C. 3. Amphitheatre. Built around the year 8 B.C. 11 4. House of the Amphitheatre. From the second 8 half of the 3rd century A.D. 5. Roman House of Mithreo. 6. Fortress and Convent. 9 1 7. Roman Bridge over the Guadiana River. 4 10 8. Roman Circus. 3 9. Arch of Trajan. 2 10. Arch of TrajanTemple of Diana. 6 11. Church of Santa Eulalia. 12. Los Milagros Aqueduct. 7 13. Roman Bridge over the Albarregas River. 14. Roman Aqueduct of San Lázaro. 5 MÉRIDA AND ITS PARADOR 3 When the Holm Oaks Sweat to Sweeten the Table “...et durae quercus saludabunt invented at this time, possibly as an alternative drink to the wine that roscida mella...” ..." (and the hard oaks Mohammed forbade. They also brought with them sweets that are still sweat honey dew...) eaten today all over the Peninsula. Virgil from “The Book of the Bucolics” Game meat, pork, paprika, and other products, some of them native to the area, make up the rest of the cuisine's main ingredients. Roman he quote may be whimsical, but it is by legionnaires, Visigoth forces of occupation, T no means a chance comment. Once shepherds, Moors, and monks have all contributed again, it is history that has dictated that to developing the culinary skills and tasty dishes of Augusta Emerita would be, above else, a synthesis the region. of civilizations. The Parador offers an excellent sampling of these The cuisine of Mérida reflects this, combining dishes, although it is not the only place in the area to different foods, customs, and cultures, with try them. We would recommend the following dishes opposite but complementary flavors and "know- traditionally found on our menu: how." –Tencas -tench, a pond fish, usually served as a Pots and pans combining basic ingredients salad. result in surprising dishes, not only because of the ingredients used, but also because of the simple –Migas con tropezones -fresh bread crumbs yet wise preparation involved.