The Temple of Diana is one of the main monuments the city of Mérida offers its visitors.
Built around the year 1 AD likely during the reign of Emperor Tiberius the temple was situated in the city center. This was the junction of the two main thoroughfares that formed the backbone of ancient Emerita Augusta the *decumanus* and the *cardo* and the site of the Roman forum. The Temple of Diana stood as one of the most imposing structures in this central complex.
Originally consecrated to the imperial cult, it acquired its current name after being mistakenly identified as such by the local historian and scholar Bernabé Moreno de Vargas.
The remains evoking its monumental past consist of a granite podium and parts of the access staircase. Rising above this base are the columns of the surrounding portico; these feature fluted shafts also made of granite that still bear traces of stucco and pigment. Corinthian capitals top the columns, completing the building's elevation.
Of the original roof structure, only the architrave (or lintel) and a semicircular relieving arch which has since been reconstructed remain.
A garden area featuring two ponds flanking the temple once surrounded the building.
The survival and excellent state of preservation of the remains are due to the fact that they served as the structural framework for a Renaissance palace built in the late 15th century, which belonged to the Count of Los Corbos.
The Temple of Diana was declared a "National Monument" in 1912. It currently holds the status of an Asset of Cultural Interest and is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
