History

Explore the rich history of Ronda, from its Roman and Moorish heritage to its iconic bridges and historic landmarks. Discover the stories that shaped this Andalusian town.

Plaza del Socorro and Blas Infante

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Plaza Socorro Ronda - Blas Infante - Hercules and Lions

Visitors to Ronda are often confused as to why our central plaza Socorro features a statue of a semi-naked man with two lions by his side and a couple of pillars behind him. What is their significance? Lets find out about the Plaza del Socorro and Blas Infante.

The answer lies in Andalusian nationalism and one of the most important events in recent Andalusian political history. The Assembly of Ronda in 1918. This was when the father of Andalusian nationalism, Blas Infante, unfurled the flag and symbols of Andalusia whilst standing on the first floor balcony of the ‘Circulo de Artistas‘. The building directly behind the fountain with red CA lettering above the windows.

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History of Grazalema Village in the Sierra de Cádiz

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Grazalema Village

Almost every visitor to Ronda will hear about the beauty of the nearby village called Grazalema. The village is located within the western reaches of the Sierra de Cadiz that also includes the villages of El Bosque, Zahara de la Sierra, Algodonales, and Olvera, and is the north-eastern tip of Cadiz province.

Grazalema is one of the famous white villages of Andalucia, considered by many to be amongst the most beautiful, and given that it is broadly in the centre of its namesake, the Grazalema Natural Park which is equally as famous, it is hardly any wonder the village has such a reputation.

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History of Ronda’s Arab Baths

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Arab baths in Ronda

Whilst in ruins now, the Arab Baths are still amongst some of the best preserved in Spain and offer a tantalising peek into Moorish life during the 13th to 16th centuries. Be sure to watch the animated short presentation (5 minutes) about the history of Ronda’s Arab Baths when you get here. The video presentation describes the water tower as a Noria (the modern Spanish word derived from Arabic), however the water pump in Ronda was a chain pump and is more correctly known today as a Saqiya.

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Plaza de Toros (Bullring) in Ronda

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The bullring or plaza de toros in Ronda, Andalucia

Even if, like me, you don’t agree with bullfighting, it is undeniable that the Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Ronda occupies a very special place in modern Spanish culture and history as the home of the Rondeño style of bullfighting and also of the Real Maestranza De Caballería De Ronda. A guided tour of Ronda and the bullring is well worth the small expense. The bullring was built entirely of stone in the 18th century, during the golden years of Pedro Romero’s reign as a champion bullfighter.

Plaza de Toros (Bullring) in Ronda
Plaza de Toros (Bullring) in Ronda. A guided tour is highly recommended
Would you like to visit a fighting bull farm in Ronda?

Reservatoro Ronda is a working breeding farm of fighting bulls and pure Andalusian horses, located just 5 km from Ronda. It was created by the now retired bullfighter Rafael Tejada. It is open to the public, giving visitors the opportunity to share in the lives of these animals throughout all their breeding stages and their fascinating selection process, as well as interact with them.

Reservatauro Ronda
Reservatauro Ronda is an active breeding farm for fighting bulls and purebred Andalusian horses, situated just 5 kilometers from Ronda.

You can book a visit over at Viator.

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Ronda’s Arab Walls and City Gates

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City gates and defensive walls of Ronda in Andalusia
A secure city

Part of the reason Ronda is so important in the history of Andalucia directly relates to how secure the city was from attack.  The city walls in combination with the gorge and rio Guadalevin made Ronda’s Arab Walls and City Gates impervious from attack until the age of the cannon.

Whilst wooden palisades existed to protect neolithic communities and their successors before the constructions of the Roman castle, the reality is that most of the stone walls around Ronda directly owe their construction to the Islamic era, a period that spanned close to 800 years from 712 until 1485.

Read this article in Spanish here…

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