The Roman colony of Emerita Augusta (present day Merida) was founded in 25 BC by Augustus, to resettle emeritus soldiers discharged from the Roman army from two veteran legions of the Cantabrian Wars: Legio V Alaudae and Legio X Gemina. The city was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania.
Today the Archaeological Ensemble of Merida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.