The Plaza de España is as close as you can get to the heart of Mérida. For the past eight centuries, it has served as a marketplace, execution grounds, an arena for Spanish-style bullfighting, and a venue for processions, juegos de cañas (a game where participants on horseback attempt to hit one another with canes), and theatrical performances. The neo-baroque marble fountain was made in Lisbon and installed in the late 19th century. It is adorned with cupids riding dolphins while blowing horns of plenty.