Because of its rich history, the small town of Ronda in Spain has many cultural and historical sites that tourists are happy to explore. There are an incredible number of beautiful architectural masterpieces from different centuries.
Ronda’s Top 10 Sights
Ronda is a famous Spanish resort located in the province of Malaga in Andalusia. Today it is the most popular resort town in southern Spain, located a few dozen kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.
This settlement appeared before our era, i.e. The city was built more than two thousand years ago, and the Celts built it. In the 2nd century AD. The Iberian peninsula was conquered by the ancient Romans, who brought new architecture and Roman law to Ronda.
In the 5th century the city was destroyed by barbarians, and three centuries later, Ronda was conquered by the Moors. The city was rebuilt and became the center of the Caliphate of Cordoba. At the end of the 15th century Ronda was conquered by the kings of Castile and became part of Spain.
New Bridge
The city of Rondo is divided into two parts by the Tahoe Gorge. Its two banks are connected by a truly majestic construction – the New Bridge, which was built in the second half of the 18th century and has long been a symbol of this small town.
The bridge looks like a fortress cut into the rock. The stone for its construction was mined in a deep gorge. It was the pinnacle of engineering at the time. Today, both sides of the gorge are surrounded by old and modern houses, hotels and villas.
Salvation Square
This square in the late Middle Ages was the location of the city market, where duty-free trade was allowed. It is located in the new part of the city. Interestingly, the square was named after the Spanish dictator Franco until the 1980s.
Today it is one of the most popular places in Ronda, where city residents and visitors relax. It is surrounded by old buildings with beautiful architecture, especially the Temple of Salvation. There is also a fountain and many outdoor cafes and restaurants.
Salvation Church
This temple was built in the early 18th century on the site of an ancient chapel, it has been destroyed by fire many times, but each time rebuilt again. The last reconstruction and expansion of the church took place in the mid-20th century.
Today there are three naves in this temple. There are bell towers on both sides of the facade. Also the facade is decorated with balconies with wrought iron lattices, cornices, etc. The interior of the temple is extremely simple and austere. It is one of the most beloved churches in Ronda.
Arabian baths
It is a magnificent monument of Moorish culture, left after several centuries of rule by the Caliphate of Cordoba. It’s better than the Arab baths of the Pyrenees. They were built in the 13th and 14th centuries in Ronda near Snake Creek.
The Spaniards felt that the Arab baths were inconsistent with Christian traditions and closed and abandoned them. The bathhouses were flooded by the local creek. They were only rediscovered in the late 1920s. Later the state restored this monument.
Bullfighting arena
Bullfighting is a favorite pastime of Spaniards, although it is constantly banned. In Ronda there is a large and ancient arena where bullfights took place. It was built in the late 18th century, and following the ancient Roman example has a two-tiered sandstone amphitheater.
The bullfighters performed here, the great Goya painted bullfighting in Ronda, and Hemingway liked to visit it. Today the arena is in private hands, wishing here can take riding lessons, visit the museum of the history of bullfighting, see the monument to the bull and the bullfighter.
Mondragon Palace
This palace was originally the residence of the sheikhs of Mauritania and later of the Spanish kings. It was built in the early 14th century, rebuilt several times, extensively in the 18th century, so little remains of the original construction today.
Mandragon was the name of the officer of the Reconquista army to whom the Moors gave the keys of this palace after the conquest of Ronda by Spain. The palace is small, has terraces with beautiful views of the valley, and a museum of medieval Ronda is organized inside.
House of the King of the Moors
The King never lived in this house – it’s a fake. And it is famous for its magnificent garden, planted in several levels. The house itself was built in the 16th century, when the Muslim period of this city has long since passed into oblivion.
The façade of the house has a ceramic mosaic depicting a Moorish prince, and local legend has it that he is Emir Badis. There are two towers built around the house, and you can see many stairs inside, but there is no entrance for outsiders.
Source Mina
In the 14th century, a mine was built near the house of the king of the Moors, and deep within it was found the spring of the Mina, which supplied water to the entire city. According to legend, the daughter of the last emir could descend to great depths in the mine and leave the city.
Christian troops during the long siege of the Rhone blocked the river that fed the spring of the Mina and forced the Moors, who were left without water, to surrender. Moorish prisoners were found in the mine, delivering water to the Moors upstairs.
Wine Museum
The Spanish are rightly proud of the quality of their wine. In Ronda, the Museum of Wine tells the history and culture of winemaking in Andalusia. Here you can see an interesting exhibition, and the guides will tell you all about the best local wines and even let you taste them.
The wine museum is located in an old house built by the Moors, although the history of local winemaking is much longer, it has many thousands of years of tradition. Here you can also learn about the peculiarities of winemaking in Carthage, Phoenicia, and Rome.
Church of the Holy Spirit
In connection with the liberation of Ronda by the Reconquista troops from Arab rule in the second half of the 15th century, the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit was erected in the city. In keeping with the harsh times, the temple was more like a fortress.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was consecrated, at that time it was the only Christian parish in the city. It has a rather gloomy appearance and several loopholes on the facade for protection against the enemy, then the Ronda was often attacked militarily.
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