Painting and mosaics

Both the Roman paintings and mosaics that we have in the city of Mérida consist of architectural ornaments which, in this case, are almost exclusively private.

Paintings were usually mural paintings, the height of which - due to the general degradation of the buildings’ walls over the centuries - is usually limited to the building base. However, there are some notable exceptions in the city, such as the room with sporting and hunting scenes found in Suárez Somonte Street and displayed in Room VII of the Museum. Other notable examples are displayed in situ in the Crypt of the main building.

With regard to mosaics, mainly floor mosaics, Mérida holds one of the main collections in Iberia. Some of the most outstanding examples are displayed on the walls of the Museum, and the set found in a country house near the city, known as the Villa de las Tiendas, deserves special mention for its artistic quality.