Ronda: the Jewel of Malaga Province, Andalusia
Explore the breathtaking beauty of Ronda, a historic city nestled in the heart of Malaga Province, Andalusia. Learn about its rich history, iconic landmarks, and vibrant culture.
There are such amusingly beautiful towns on cliffs or mountain slopes that you can't stop admiring... And you always want to come back to them. Such are the Italian Positano, Amalfi, Manarola, Riomaggiore, Portovenere; the French Rocamadour; the Catalan Castellfollit de la Roca; the Mexican Acapulco; the Greek Santorini... And, of course, the Andalusian Ronda.
Pueblos Blancos or White Villages
This is one of the so-called "Pueblos Blancos" — white towns or white villages of Andalusia. But unlike most of these towns, Ronda has its outstanding features:
A bridge over the gorge
Old bullfighting arena
Rich history.
It's amazing: I remember every corner of this town in great detail even after several years. But I hardly remember yesterday's Krasnoyarsk (Izhevsk, Perm, Krasnodar, Chita, Nizhnevartovsk...) anymore.
Andalusian Ronda: history and its connection with bullfighting
Andalusian Ronda: history and its connection with bullfighting In the 6th century BC, a Celtic settlement was called Arunda. The Greeks called it Runda. In the times of Caesar, Ronda became a city. In 711, the Moors came here. Historians claim that in 1485, King Ferdinand I the Catholic barely ousted the Moors from the city. And even then, the elevation and the gorge themselves were fortifications.
When people hear the word, Ronda, most travelers immediately recall the bullfighting arena (Spanish: Plaza de Toros) and the New Bridge (Spanish: Puente Nuevo) across the Tajo Gorge, which is 120 meters deep, over the Guadalevín River (Spanish: Guadalevín).
It is noteworthy that both the arena and the bridge were designed by the same architect — José Martín de Aldehuela. History has it that in 1740, another architect built a single-arched bridge across the gorge. That bridge collapsed, killing about 50 people. The current three-arched bridge has been standing since 1793.
Bridge in the Rock, in Ronda
In my opinion, this bridge is not as simple as it seems. That is, it seems like such a natural addition to the rocks and the gorge that you don't immediately realize: this is a complex engineering creation! Grigory Pasko, journalist (partner material).
You need to take a photo from the bridge — the views are stunning! But on the way to the bridge and the gorge, let's stop by the bullfighting arena (Spanish: Plaza de Toros). At the entrance to the arena, there are three monuments: a bull and two matadors. The name of the bull is unknown. The matadors are called Cayetano and Antonio Ordóñez (the first is the father, and the second is his son). The Ordóñez family is famous in Spain. About the younger one, Hemingway wrote in "The Dangerous Summer".
The monument bears the words
There is also a monument to the famous Pedro Romero in Ronda. The monument bears the words: "Fear is more terrible than the bull." A matador who killed five and a half thousand bulls during his career would certainly know better.
Romero was probably not only a fearless man but also a very skillful matador: over a quarter of a century of performances in the arena, he did not receive a single injury. The prototype of the main character of another of Hemingway's novels, "Fiesta" ("The Sun Also Rises"), was... Pedro Romero. By the way, there is also a monument to Hemingway himself in Ronda.
Not being a fan of bullfighting, I nevertheless walked around the entire arena and its "backstage". Plaza de toros was opened on May 19, 1785. Once, in the times of King Philip II, it, as is proper for such structures in those years, had a purely practical purpose: the cavalry trained there.
What else to see in Ronda?
After inspecting the arena and the bullfighting museum, we go further and come to Alameda del Tajo Park (Spanish: Alameda del Tajo). The author of "Ulysses" James Joyce considered this park the most beautiful in Europe. Well, let's assume we've seen even more beautiful. But the park is wonderful. Especially the views of the valley from the balcony (this wonderful balcony is visible in one of the photos).
There are several monuments in the park
One we already know — to the matador Pedro Romero. The second one is to a beautiful woman. It turns out that this monument is also connected with bullfighting. This is the Dama Goyesca sculpture by Paco Parra. The Dama Goyesca participated in the performance before the start of the (special) corrida — the Goyesca. Such a bullfight was first held in 1954, precisely in Ronda.
Blas Infante Pérez de Vargas
On the way from the park to the wine museum (how can we do without it!) we come across a monument to a peasant in a costume. Since this monument is often omitted, I'll remind you who this is. The inscription says that this is Blas Infante Pérez de Vargas. It is also written that he is the Father of the Fatherland. That is, the progenitor. Of what? It turns out, of the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia. And also — the anthem of Andalusia.
He worked as a journalist, a writer, and a politician. In 1920, he founded the newspaper "Avante". The founder of the "Liberals' Junta of Andalusia". (Don't be afraid of the word "junta". In Spanish, it's just an "association", a political party). During Franco's time, he was arrested and shot.
Mondragón Palace Guidebooks recommend visiting the Mondragón Palace (Spanish: Palacio de Mondragón). I haven't been there. But I can imagine that inside there is the splendor of Moorish architecture, ceilings in Arabic style, a garden with access to the inner courtyard, and... Alcazaba. (Who has seen the Alhambra has seen all the Moorish palaces at once). Grigory Pasko, journalist (partner material).
Then we go to Plaza del Socorro square. Now it is called Socorro. But relatively recently it was named after... Oh, of course, Franco.
Wine Museum in Andalusian Ronda
And finally, another goal of a wonderful walk through Ronda - the wine museum (Spanish: Museo del Vino de Ronda). It sounds loud — a museum. It's an old house with a patio. Barrels can be seen under the arches, alas, empty. In the rooms, exhibitions tell about the history of winemaking in the region. Of course, the Phoenicians brought the vine to this region. Then winemaking culture developed with the help of Greeks, Romans, and Arabs...
The exhibitions are informative, so you can understand everything even without a guide. We won't see any outstanding exhibits here. But when we return to the patio, let's pay attention to one of the walls, from which taps stick out... Above there is a sign — "Sources of Ronda wine". Most tourists pass by them. And in vain. Taps are made to be opened. We open one — red wine flows. We open another — white. Beautiful! And the wine is good.
Now we can continue our journey to Visit the Santo Domingo Monastery (Spanish: Palacio de Congresos de Ronda — Convento de Santo Domingo); the Santa María la Mayor Church (Spanish: Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor); the Bandit Museum (Spanish: Museo del Bandolero); the Salvaterra Palace (Spanish: Palacio Salvaterra)... Hopefully, there will be enough time for all this and much more! Grigory Pasko, journalist (partner material).
And you also need to stroll through the shops, have lunch (for example, at the Pedro Romero restaurant near Plaza de Toros), visit a souvenir shop... By the way, about the shop. One such is located next to the New Bridge (Spanish: Puente Nuevo). It's a mix of an antique shop and an art salon. I assure you, you won't leave without a purchase.
Author of the article: journalist Grigory Pasko for Fenix.info
