Augusta Emerita, Arch of Trajan

Augusta Emerita: Roman city in western Spain, modern Mérida, capital of the province of Lusitania.

The so-called Arch of Trajan

The monument that is known as the Arch of Trajan in Augusta Emerita was probably not dedicated to this Spanish emperor, who ruled from 98 to 117 CE. Situated on the cardo maximus, the main road from north to south, between the Civic Forum and the Provincial Forum, this monument probably marked the boundary between the two public squares.

The structure, which rises fifteen meters high, was made of large blocks of granite that were once covered with marble.