Ronda, Jewel on the Hill
Ronda is a beautiful small city in Malaga, Spain. It sits overlooking the Guadalevín River which divides Ronda into two sections, the old and the new.
Ronda has been a popular site for US celebrities in the recent past Like. Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells spent many summers in Ronda as part-time residents of its old-town quarter called “La Ciudad” (the City). Both wrote about Ronda's beauty and famous bullfighting traditions.
Puente Nuevo: The Famous Bridge in Ronda
Ronda also has a very rich history associated with it. You can find prehistoric ruins that date to the Neolithic Age. The Celts were essentially the first to settle Ronda. The current city is of Roman origins, having been founded as a fortified post in the Second Punic War, by Scipio Africanus. Ronda received the title of city at the time of Julius Caesar.
The conquest of the City was led by Rechila, and was then overtaken by the Eastern Roman Empire in the following century. It wasn’t until the reign of Leovigild (a Visigoth king) that the City was captured. Ronda was part of the Visigoth realm until 713, when it fell to the Umayyad troops, who named it Hisn Ar-Rundah ("Castle of Rundah") and made it the capital of the Takurunna province.
Ronda’s Islamic domination ended in 1485, when it was conquered by the Marquis of Cádiz after a brief siege. Subsequently, most of the city's old edifices were renewed or adapted to Christian roles, while numerous others were built in newly created quarters such as Mercadillo and San Francisco.
The Plaza de Toros de Ronda, founded in the town in 1572, is the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain, and remains a beautiful site to see during any visit. Ronda's Romero family played a principal role in the development of modern Spanish bullfighting. It is the family responsible for such innovations as the use of the cape, or muleta, and a sword especially designed for the kill, Pedro Romero, in particular transformed bullfighting into "an art and a skill in its own right, and not simply ... a clownishly macho preamble to the bull's slaughter".
The Bull Fighting Ring in Ronda
In addition to the bull ring, there are many other wonderful things to see in Ronda, such as the Alameda del Tajo Ronda, a flat walkway lined with trees that lead to a breathtaking view of the valley below.
The unbelievably impossible bridge over the river. Take the long steps down the cliff to see the original Arabic baths built during the 13th and 14th centuries at the bottom of the walkway where visitors would wash their feet to purify themselves before entering the city.
If you are a fan of Orson Wells, you will find his ashes buried in a well on the rural property of his friend, the retired bullfighter Antonio Ordoñez, when he died in 1985.
Bust of Orson Wells
And, of course, the many wonderful restaurants scattered in both the new and the old part of the city. My favorite one is Albarcara Restaurant at the Hotel Montelirio (Calle Tenorio, 8, Ronda) which is perched on the cliffside overlooking the valley, just a short walk from the garden walkway in the old part of the city.
For some of the incredible views from their balconies, check out this post by clicking here.
And, by all means, try a Crianza or Temperanillo red wine as you dine and enjoy a beautiful sunset as the sun rolls over the valley below
