Tag Archives: Fiestas

Ronda, Spanish Culture

Damas Goyesca of Ronda

Since the inception of the Corrida Goyesca in Ronda’s September fair in 1954, the Damas Goyesca of Ronda have been the official representatives of the city, and welcoming committee for visiting dignitaries.

Goyesca ladies in Ronda

The role is exceptionally demanding, not only from the level of responsibility, but also from the long schedule of training, and gown fittings before the build up to the week’s festivities.

So exceptionally popular have been the Damas Goyesca, that in 2009, a bronze statue of a Goyesca lady was inaugurated in Alameda park, directly across from the statue of Pedro Romero, Ronda’s most famous bullfighter. Actually this statue is the start point for the Ronda Today audio guide tour.

Damas Goyesca in Ronda
Damas Goyesca in Ronda

Every year a president of the Damas Goyesca is chosen, usually she is a woman well respected in Ronda, someone who has earned the affection of the people of Ronda, and who is held up as a model of womanhood for others to emulate.

At the same time, fourteen younger Rondeñas are picked to support the president in her duties, typically the younger Damas Goyesca will be in their teens, and of course chosen for their beauty, as well as their grace.

Why the “Goyesca” Ladies?

Every year in Ronda several of the town’s ladies are chosen to be the Damas Goyescas, and represent the ladies seen in some of Francisco de Goya’s paintings of bullfighting and pageantry from the late 18th century. Many of Goya’s paintings were in fact commissioned by a tapestry workshop in Madrid, the aim being to print the paintings on fabric.

Pedro Romero Feria & Corrida Goyesca 2023
The damas Goyesca in Ronda.
Take a look at this 1973 documentary about the life and work of Francisco de Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and engravings reflected contemporary historical upheavals and influenced important 19th- and 20th-century painters.

When Goya painted his portraits of nobility, the fashion of the day was for colourful fabrics, and matching accessories such as shoes, fans, hairpieces etc. The gowns worn by Ronda’s Dames Goyesca are not exact copies of those seen in Goya’s paintings, instead they are designed to reflect the matador designs seen in Goya’s paintings of Pedro Romero, so can be said to be complimentary rather than historically correct.

Goyesca ladies in Ronda

Some art historians argue Goya’s paintings of the Duchess of Alba are the inspiration for the gowns worn by the Damas Goyesca, and to a lesser extent this might be true, in that many of the simpler gowns worn by the ladies are very reminiscent. The more complex designs however have been developed in the 20th century in response to perceived fashions of the 18th century, and as such are even more stunning and beautiful than they would have been.

Each outfit can cost many thousands of Euros, everything is custom made to suit the lady, right down to handmade shoes and lace shawls. In addition, each Goyesca lady usually has another gown for less formal occasions, and perhaps a third for specific medal ceremonies.

Goyesca ladies in Ronda
The costumes of the Goyesca ladies are quite stunning.

Voicemap GPS Audio Guide for Ronda

Scan the QR code to go directly to the Ronda audio guide at VoiceMap.

The Damas Goyesca of Ronda is included in the VoiceMap GPS Audio Guide for Ronda.

Discover some hidden corners of Ronda with me on this audio guide tour of the “City of Dreams”

https://voicemap.me/tour/ronda/ronda-andalucia-s-city-of-dreams-a-walking-tour

Ronda Today

Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/

Visit Cádiz

Planning on visiting Cádiz? Tourist information. Monuments. Hotels. Activities. City guides: https://visitingcadiz.com/

The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum! https://iberianatureforum.com/

Events, Flamenco, Spanish Culture, Videos

“Las Enganches” Horse and Carriage Show – Goyesca Ronda

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Every year, usually on the Sunday morning following the big Corrida, the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda and the Real Club de Enganches de Andalucía hold a competition to pick the best horse and carriage.

The prizes aren’t significant, no more than a few hundred Euros, but the honour of being awarded the Champion of Champions Trophy at this event far outweighs any other prize on offer at the other provincial Ferías.

Several classes of carriage are judged, starting with single horse carriages, all the way to six horse teams arranged three across. Carriages fall into two and four wheel classes, covered and uncovered, and are usually in immaculate condition. Carriage owners take great pride in the appearance of their carriages, the horses, harnesses, and of course themselves. Click the “continue reading” to see images and video of the horse and carriage show. Continue reading “Las Enganches” Horse and Carriage Show – Goyesca Ronda →

Art

Poster for Olvera and Ronda Carnavals

Ronda Today received an email from a very excited local artists today, Alan Pearson, a man whose art is already featured in our artist pages. Alan emailed us to tell us he’d won a competition in Olvera for artwork to be used in the town’s Caranval 2010 poster.

Alan is justifiably pleased to have been selected because he’s made such an effort to integrate into the local community, with many prominent Spaniards in Olvera calling him a friend. As winner, Alan’s painting was selected from 10 submissions, and also won 300€ in prize money.

The artwork selected was a piece painted by Alan a wee while ago, and shows what Carnaval in Olvera might have looked like at the turn of the 20th century. The castle and church in Olvera can be seen towering above the townsfolk as they enjoy Carnaval in the streets of this beautiful little town only 30 minutes away from Ronda.

In Alan’s painting you can see a group of people playing a traditional game of Cancarro where a pottery jug is thrown around the circle, and behind them a swing setup with a rope suspended across the street.

Carnaval in Ronda is also scheduled for February, and below you can see Ronda’s Carnaval poster designed by José María Sabater, known locally as ‘Chemi’, a popular computer design artist.

Carnaval is a time of great celebration in Spain, and whilst not as flamboyent as those in Brazil they are certainly still very enjoyable. Look out for grand processions, street parties, and side show alley at the feria grounds in Ronda.

In the streets children will be eating candy floss, holding aloft balloons, singing Carnaval songs, and playing games. All told, Carnaval is a time when Spaniards let their hair down and party.

Art

Poster for Ronda’s Semana Santa 2010

Edit: You can get the itinerary for Ronda’s 2010 Semana Santa processions here.

The poster advertising Semana Santa 2010 in Ronda has been announced by the Hermandades del Huerto, Prendimiento y Gitanos, showing a photograph of one of the icons inside Ronda’s many churches.

Clothed in a red tunic with gold leaf, and supported by an angel, the float has already won the hearts and minds of Ronda’s Christians many of whom are delighted to see it featured on the poster used to promote the Holy Week in Ronda.

Semana Santa Poster 2010
Semana Santa Poster 2010
The poster was designed by Jesus Lopez and Ana Belen Cabrera who took the photo during Semana Santa 2009.

This year sees Easter fall between the 15th and 24th of April, though the official calendar of events for the week has yet to be finalised.

Holy Week, known as Semana Santa in Spanish, is a week of religious processions and fiestas, and is a bigger celebration than Christmas. Through Semana Santa each of the Catholic Brotherhoods of Ronda host their own processions, and most pass through Plaza del Socorro to receive blessings from senior priests in Ronda.

Also in 2010, the new Museum of the Fraternities will open in the old court building on Calle Armiñan, thus making 2010 an important year for Semana Santa festivities in Ronda. The Holy Week festivities in Ronda are amongst the most important in Andalucía, so the museum has been described by Luis Candelas, president of the Association of Fraternities and Brotherhoods as a welcome addition to Ronda’s initiatives.

Art/Culture

Los Reyes Parade in Ronda 5th January

In the English speaking world we know the 6th of January as the day of Epiphany, the day when the three wise men arrived from the orient bearing gifts for the baby Jesus. In the Christian calendar an important day, but usually not celebrated, and certainly not a public holiday.

In Spain this isn’t the case. The 5th and 6th of January together were traditionally bigger causes for celebration than Christmas Day. Some traditional families still consider the 6th to be the real Christmas celebration. Here it isn’t called the day of Epiphany, in Spain, the 6th of January is el Día de los Reyes, the three kings day.

Thousands of Rondeños braved the cold weather and occasional drizzle to watch los Reyes as they and their friends paraded through the streets of Ronda, beginning in the square near the Almocabar gates in the Barrio de San Francisco, then winding their way through Calle Armiñan, before turning onto La Bola, Calle Capitan Ramón y Cajal, and then Calle Pozo before finishing at the la Merced church.

Children all over Spain write letters to their favourite of the three wise men, Melchor, Gaspar, or Baltasar telling them what they want for to receive. The parade on night of the 5th is a time when los Reyes arrive in town to distribute the presents the children have asked for, so of course the parade is very well attended.

This year los Reyes threw tens of thousands of sweets, hard fruit flavoured sweets, and softer caramel toffees. The crowds got in to the swing of things shouting ‘Caramelo, Caramelo’ at every float that passed.

Cardboard cutouts of a king were thrown from the first float, whilst the second threw confetti. By the time the sweets were thrown everyone was holding aloft their cardboard king, though you’d be forgiven for not recognising a soul with the amount of confetti covering them.

After the sweets came the plastic eye patches, more sweets, and then more sweets, and still the crowd were chanting ‘Caramelo, Caramelo’.

Each year a different barrio hosts the parade, so of course the route changes from year to year as well. The brotherhoods of the Barrio de San Francisco put on a great parade this year, with many of our young Rondeños favourite characters in attendance.

The morning of the 6th Ronda’s children will be eagerly rushing to the door where they left their shoes the night before, one pair for each child in the house. Good children get presents, naughty children get a lump of coal, though we suspect nobody will receive a lump of coal this year.

Our photos were taken with a phone camera so aren’t fantastic, but on the other hand we were there to enjoy the parade with friends and family. Why not plan a trip to Ronda next Christmas and join us for the parade.