THEY SAY THAT IT IS LAND TO DREAM OF, BUT RATHER, IT IS THE BELOVED CITY, BECAUSE EACH VISITOR THAT DISCOVERS IT ENDS UP AS ANOTHER ADMIRER OF ITS ETERNAL SEDUCTION, THUS IT IS NOR SURPRISING THAT ORSON WELLES WISHED TO REST IN THE LAND THAT HE LOVED BEST.

Ronda, in spite of being surrounded by the cragged mountain range that bears its name, lies on a large plateau, clearly defining the high and low Andalusia. The city overlooks, to the southwest, El Tajo (The Gorge), a natural gorge excavated over the years by the river Guadalevin, reaching 180 metres in the deepest part. This cut has split Ronda in two, but at the same time it has joined it, it has made it unique and has also made it known worldwide as one of the symbols of Andalusia.
This monumental city has been coveted throughout history by different cultures. In prehistoric times it was already a settlement, according to the remains found in the area, as well as cave paintings discovered in the Pileta cave, one of the best-preserved in the world. Bust Ronda did not become a trully Iberian city until its contact with the Phoenicians and the Creeks, in the last millennium before Christ.
The Celts settled later, founding Acinipo (the Old Ronda) and Arunda (present day Ronda), although the town acquired true importance under the Romans. Back then, it was the best road connecting the province of Málaga with Seville, but in turn it connected Algeciras (Cádiz) with Málaga. Acinipo was more important back then than Arunda, although they were often mistaken for each other and there was a fierce competition between them. At the end, Acinipo was abandoned and Arunda began to write the pages of history on its own.
The most flourishing period came with the Arabs, who settled throughout the region and shaped the current mountain range. The urban layout of the city was the work of these inhabitants, the main nucleus of which was the castle, surrounded by a neighbourhood called Izna Rond Onda, which means Castle of the Laurel. For many years, Ronda was a unique point of Arab resistance, due to its location and its impenetrable walls. But in May 1485, the troops of the Catholic Monarchs, led by the Prince Don Fernando, conquered it.
Bur Ronda has entered Spain's contemporary history as being the seat, in January 1918, of the Andalusian Congress, where the foundations of the autonomy of Andalusia were laid and the symbols of the region were established such as the flag (the green of Islam and the white of peace, and the parliament) and its hymn, composed by the Notary born in Casares, Blas Imfante.

Ronda and its neighbourhoods
Ronda's attractions are located in three different areas. Outside of the walls is the San Francisco neighbourhood, where the first inhabitans settled. The Almocabar and the Carlos V doors in the old walled enclosure, mark the beginning of the city, where the city's historical masterpices are found. Suddenly, we run into the church, fortress of the Holy Spirit that was built in the times of the Catholic Monarchs.
From here onwards, we will see a diversity of silent witnesses of past civilisations, such as the Santa María La Mayor church, which in Mozarab times was a mosque. Close by is the Town Hall building and the Mondragón Palace, seat of governors and kings and built by King Abomelic in 1314.
Near this is the Exijara door, which leads to the Jewish Quarter. Towards the New Bridge we find the San Sebastian minaret, from Ronda's Nazri period, and the Arab baths, the best preserved of Spain, dating back to the 13th century.
Heading towards the city's greatest attraction, The Gorge ( El Tajo), we find the Felipe V door, the Arab bridge and the Old Bridge, from where we see the Fountain of the Eight Spouts and the Padre Jesús Church. Close to the bridge is the Marques de Salvatierra palace and the Moorish King's House, both buildings from the 18th century. We then find the symbol of Ronda, the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo), where we will be awed by the enormity of the construction, which dates back to the 18th century. It took 42 years to build and it sits on the foundations of an old bridge that only stood for 5 years.
The architect, Juan Martín Aldehuela, also designed the bullring (year 1785), on the other side of the Gorge, in the area known as Mercadillo, which is the third part of the city, with a more modern look. This bullring is the largest of Spain, with 66 metres diameter, and is owned by the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, the first created in Spain and founded in 1572 by Felipe II. This ring has produced mythical bullfighters such as Pedro Romero, in whose honour the beautiful Goyesca bullfight is held every year.

Ronda and its lovers.
The beauty of its landscapes and its urban areas, its romantic spell, due to its legends and romances of Arabs bandits and bullfighters, have made Ronda a meeting point of travellers, artists and writers. Among these travellers we must mention Rainer Maria Rilke, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Hemmingway, Cernuda... If its visitors were important, so were many who were born in Ronda, sych as Vicente Espinel, Rios Rosas, Giner de los Rios, Pedro Romero and el Niño de la Palma. But if anyone passionately loved everything about Ronda, that was Orson Welles. The great American actor and filmmaker travelled many times to Ronda to immerse himself in the bullfighting ambience, which he never could forget. After Welle's death, his daugthter expressed his wish to be buried in the land that so captivated him. In 1986, the ashes of this American genius were deposited in the San Cayetano property, owned by the Ordoñez family.
The truth is that anyone who visits the city will end up falling in love with its beauty, and those who are familiar with it, know that the more you contemplate it, the more it attracts, because the beauty of seduction of Ronda is eternal.

Useful information
Basic data
Size: 477.50 Km²
Population: Approx. 40,000
Residents known as: Rondeños
Monuments: Plaza de Toros, Historic centre, the Gorge, Ruins of Acinipo.
Geographical situation: Capital of the Ronda Mountains region, made up of 27 municipalities, at 744 metres above sea level.
Ronda is the capital of the Serrania (Mountain range) comprising 27 municipalities that cover an area of 1,500 square kilometres and with a population of about 65,000, including the almost 40,000 that live in Ronda itself. There are various ways to get there from Malaga, the most direct route being along the Costa del Sol to San Pedro Alcántara, then turning up on the Ronda road, a total distance of 110 kilometres. The well-surfaced but winding road reaches a height of 744 metres above sea level to take us to the town. Another road goes through Yunquera and El Burgo, shorter at 96 kilometres from Malaga, while the longest way is by the new Cártama road that brings us first to Ardales, turning off before reaching Campillos to get to Ronda, the distance being 122 kilometres. Although longer, this is an excellent road.

Places to be visited
Ruins of Acinipo
There are a number of different routes one can take to see the town, one good way to begin being a trip through the Ruins of Acinipo or Ronda La Vieja (Old Ronda). Acinipo became one of the most important towns in Bética and Arunda, situated 20 kilometres from the present town on the Seville road. The ruins are on a plateau of 980 metres high, and are easily spotted for the large stone blocks and the remains of construction work on the site. The theatre is in a good state of conservation, and its size gives us some idea of how big this Roman city was. Coins, inscriptions and various architectural elements have been found in and around the site.
Urban and monumental Ronda
The town has a number of different areas, easily distinguished one from the other. The town centre is made up of Las Imágenes, the Puente Nuevo and the area known as La Ciudad, or the ancient Medina, the Moorish market area. From the historic point of view, this is the most important area of the town. The second area is the San Francisco barrio, and the third area is the Mercadillo, on the other side of the river Guadalevín, where an industrial estate has been built recently. Three bridges were built over this river, the two oldest being in the lower part of the river, and the third being built at the end of the 18th century.
The Lara Museum
This museum of art and objects is situated in the Casa Palacio de los Condes de La Conquista, (on calle Armiñán), which has recuperated its old aristocratic style on being converted into one of the most interesting museums in the province. On show here are more than 2,000 pieces from the worlds of communication, art, science, archaeology and popular arts. There are a total of nine collections in the museum.
Religious architecture
Ronda has a large number of religious buildings, the most interesting being the 15th and early 16th century churches of Nuestra Señora de Gracia and Espíritu Santo, the building of which was ordered by the Catholic Monarchs on the ground that the octagonal square used by the Catholic defence forces had been. One of the oldest of the town’s religious buildings is the Church of the Santa María de la Encarnación la Mayor. These are only a few of the 20 religious buildings – mostly churches and convents – to be found in Ronda.
Church of the Espíritu Santo
Ronda was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs on May 22nd, 1485, and the Church of the Espíritu Santo was one of the first to be built to cater for the spiritual needs of the new Christian population, and those who would be converted. It was named for the day on which the town was captured, Pascua del Espíritu Santo, and built on the ruins of an old mosque between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The style is transitional Gothic-Renaissance. It was made a parish in 1534, and while work was being carried out on the Colegiata de Santa María de la Encarnación, it fulfilled the function of the canonical college.
The church is built of stone in a single nave, with a raised choir. The nave is divided into three sections, each vaulted in the shape of the cross. There are rectangular chapels off the third section of the nave, with another chapel on the other side of the central nave, separated by semicircular arches, the ceilings again vaulted in the shape of the cross. A third chapel leads to the exterior.
The entrance to the main chapel is through a semicircular triumphal arch supported by large pillars, while the ceiling is an octagonal-shaped Baroque vault with an eight-point star in the centre. A Baroque altarpiece sits in the wall, along with a painting from the late 17th century Seville School. The theme is the Holy Spirit, with the apostles receiving the gift of speech in different languages in order to preach the work of God all over the world. Beneath this there is a Virgen de la Antigua, a 19th century copy. Over the altar there are three heraldic stone shapes, two of them from the time of Fray Bernardo Manrique (1541-1564), then bishop, and the other showing the principal coat-of-arms of Asturias. There are two windows in the high part of the walls, and a door that leads to the sacristy.
The sacristy houses two important works: a Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus and Saint Ann with the Virgin, both done in the final third of the 17th century by painters closely associated with the painter Murillo. The exterior presents a fortified appearance common at the time, with buttresses complementing the interior arches of the nave. On both sides are the chapels in the shape of the cross, lower than the central nave. The steeple is made in two storeys with a bell tower, and later decorative additions in the Baroque style.
The doorway is simple, framed in two large buttresses with pinnacles. It has a semicircular archway with the only elements in the church of Mudejar design on it. Over the arch is a niche holding the dove of the Holy Spirit. There is an arched window that is reminiscent of the Gothic style, and the façade has a pediment on its central part. At the moment the gold and silverwork, liturgical costumes and documents relating the church are on exhibition in different parts of the building.
The Bandolero Museum. This museum is situated a late 19th century house in the historic centre of the town, and within 150 metres of it one can find almost all the best-known monuments in Ronda. C/Armiñán, 65. Tel: 952 877 785.


CRAFTS: Ronda is famous worldwide for its wrought iron, the manufacturing of unique furniture, ceramic and leather articles.

GASTRONOMY: Among the most typical dishes are: Ronda style omelette, yemas del tajo, black pudding and chorizo; beans; migas with chorizo; almond and artichoke soup; mountain style gazpacho; pork loin filled with pine nuts; lamb cochifrito; Ronda style rabbit, and for dessert, almond pestiños and sweets made by the Carmelite and Franciscan nuns.

WHERE TO EAT:
Restaurante Pedro Romero. One of Ronda’s classic restaurtants. Spacious, with a Spanish wine cellar. C/. Virgen de la Paz, 18. Tel: 952 871 061 Fax: 952 871 061.
Restaurante Tragabuches. Creative Andalusian cooking. C/José Aparicio, 1. 952 190 291.
Asador-Restaurante Casa Santa Pola. Specialising in meats, roasts, suckling pig and lamb in a wood oven. C/Santo Domingo, s/n. Tel: 952 879 208. Fax 952 879 328
Restaurante del Escudero. Paseo Blas Infante, s/n. Tel: 952 871 367.
Restaurante Sol y Sombra. C/Virgen de la Paz, 26. Tel: 952 187 176.
Restaurante Jerez. Paseo Blas Infante, 2. Tel: 952 872 098. Internet
Restaurante Duquesa de Parcent. C/Tenorio, 12. Tel: 952 190 835.
Restaurante Alhambra. C/Pedro Romero, 9. Tel: 952 879 934.
Restaurante Alavera. C/San Miguel, s/n. Tel: 952 879 143.
Restaurante Don Javier. C/Virgen de la Paz, 7. Tel: 952 872 020.
Restaurante Cervecería Camelot. C/Sevilla, 45. Tel: 952 879 312.
Bar-Restaurante La Venta. Ctra. El Burgo, Km.4. Tel: 952 877 929.
Bar-Restaurante El Torero. C/Nueva, 8. Tel: 952 877 169.
Hnos.Pérez. Specialising in hot tapas and churros. C/Espinillos, 14.Tel: 952 871 147.


WHERE TO SLEEP:
Hotel Husa Reina Victoria (4*). Dr. Fleming, 25. Tel: 952 871 240.
Hotel Maestranza (4*). C/Virgen de la Paz, 24. Tel: 952 187 072.
Parador Nacional de Turismo (4*). Plaza de España, s/n. Tel: 952 877 500.
Hotel San Gabriel. C/José María Holgado, 19. Tel: 952 190 392.
Hotel La Española (3*). C/José Aparicio 3 and 5. Tel: 952 871 051.
Hotel Don Javier (3*). C/José Aparicio, 6. Tel: 952 872 020.
Hotel Royal (2*). C/Virgen de la Paz, 42. Tel: 952 871 141.
Hotel El Horcajo (3*). Ctra. Ronda-Zahara de la Sierra, s/n. Tel: 952 184 080.
Hotel Alavera (2*). C/San Miguel, s/n. Tel: 952 879 143.
Hostal Andalucía. Avda. Martínez Astein, 19. Teléfono 952 875 450.
Hostal Fuente de la Higuera. Partido de los Frontones. Tel: 952 114 355.
Hostal Rondasol. C/Almendra, 11. Tel: 952 874 497.
Pensión La Purísima. C/Sevilla, 10. Tel: 952 871 050.
Camping El Sur. Ctra. Algeciras, Km.1,5. Tel: 952 875 939.
Camping El Abogao. Ctra. Campillos, Km.5. Tel: 952 875 844.

POPULAR FESTIVITIES: The most important dates are: in April, Holy Week; on the 20th May, the May Fair; and in September, Festivities of Pedro Romero, traditional Goyesca Bullfight.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Ronda municipal tourism office: Paseo de Blas Infante, s/n. Tlf: 952 187 119. Andalusian Tourism Office, Plaza de España, 9. Tlf: 952 871 272.