Ronda
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| Ronda & surrounds |
Another of
the charming Pueblos Blancos, tiny Ronda sits perched on cliffs 500 ft above El
Tajo Gorge. La Ciudad’s (as it was known
then) position was of strategic significance in the 1400’s as Christians fought
back the Moors to recapture Spain. Ronda
had been on the front line and its occupation critical; it finally fell in
1485.
This
romantic village set high above surrounding plains has since attracted its fair
share of shady or notable visitors, including Dumas, Orson Wells and Hemmingway. Sitting under ancient trees at an outdoor café by the
Plaza Duquesa de Parcent we too fell for its charms. Would an ancient cobbled street be named
after us one day? Probably not….
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| Meanwhile GS had run off with the waiter.... |
We decided
to take a tour with Alfredo (from the Tourist Office); a comprehensive couple
of hours walking in the old city. We
admired a stunning Cathedral built over the site of the original mosque; explored
the Palacio de Mondragon (1314), built for Ronda’s ruler and Islamic in style before taking a closer
inspection of Ronda's famous bullring, one of the oldest in Spain (1785). It was here that the Romero family of
Matadors established the technique of modern bull fighting (on foot). To this day, Ronda celebrates this heritage;
Matadors fight in 19th c costumes with all the associated pageantry.
Sketches from those early days by one
of Spain’s celebrated masters, Goya, hang in the museum giving insight into
this ritualistic event.
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| Inside the famous Ronda Bullring |
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| Last year's poster |
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