Andalucia's Ronda what to see

catherine · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 21

Ronda is one of Andalucia's loveliest towns, steeped in history. It stands on a towering plateau in the mountains of Malaga Province, and is famous through Spain for the plunging river gorge which divides the medieval from the 18th century parts of the town. This gorge is known as "El Tajo" - The Cliff and is spanned by a stone bridge, which once housed a prison. Visitors love to peer down into the gorge, to see the waters of the River Guadalevín.

The Ronda bullring, with its history, architecture and beauty is regarded as one of the oldest and monumental bullrings in Spain. This is no coincidence as Ronda is considered to be the seat of Bullfighting and equestrian sports.

It was in 1572 that Philip II created the Real Maestranza de caballeria in Ronda for the purpose of creating the necessary training in horsemanship. Bulls were incorporated into the training because of the ferocious way in which the animals charged the horses. This training became an exciting spectacle for the whole town.

In the 18th century the horseman’s games were replaced by the unmounted bullfighter and the Romero family emerged in Ronda, providing over three generations of the most outstanding bullfighters. The most important of them was Pedro Romero (1754-1839), a key figure in the history of bullfighting. He retired after slaying more than 5,600 bulls without ever being hurt. As a result in the popularity of the sport in Ronda, the famous bullring was constructed. The arena has a diameter of 66 metres, surrounded by a passage formed by two rings of stone. There are two layers of seating, each with five raised rows and 136 pillars that make up 68 arches. The Royal Box has a sloping roof covered in Arabic tiles.

In the 20th century, Ronda produced a second dynasty of bullfighters. The Ordoñez family whose approach to bullfighting drew the attention of Ernest Hemingway, who dedicated to them, his works Fiesta and Death in the afternoon. The bullring in Ronda is open to the public, with a small admission charge. The bullring also houses an interesting museum dedicated to the sport.

The town itself is relatively modern, most of it was built in the18th century is the area to the North of the gorge, called El Mercadillo, (the market) with the Plaza de España, the site of Ronda's recently built Parador Hotel, the spectacular walkway along the river gorge with superb views of the countryside below.

This walkway leads to Ronda's lovely "Mirador", with colourful flowerbeds and a railing for sightseers to lean against as they gaze into the distance. Just behind the charming Mirador is Ronda's famous bullring, one of the most beautiful and ancient arenas in Spain, made famous in the 18th century by a local bullfighter, the legendary Pedro Romero, who killed over 5,000 bulls during his career. You can visit the arena and its fascinating bullfighting museum.

You can walk from the Plaza de España and the bullring up the Calle Nueva, Ronda's pedestrian shopping district, where some of the shops still retain their traditional appearance and style.