Aerial view of Emerita Augusta (Merida) in the 2nd century. The drawing is in landscape format. It is arranged within a frame drawn in ink. Traces of watercolor and inscriptions are visible in the margins.
The town lies at the confluence of the Albarregas and Guadiana rivers. Bridges and aqueducts cross the waterways. A wall, punctuated by towers and pierced by gates, protects the city. The city is built on an orthogonal checkerboard plan. The forum stands at the intersection of the cardo (north-south axis) and decumanus (east-west axis). A vast courtyard, bordered by a colonnaded portico, houses the temple. It is flanked by a second courtyard with porticoes. A temple was built nearby. Entertainment buildings are grouped together in the upper part of the drawing. There is a theater flanked by a pleasure garden and an amphitheater. The circus is located outside the city.