Ronda
Photo Essay
~ Munaf Husain
Sometimes you are just meant to discover a place.
On our Andalusian journey in mid-October of 2023, instead of going directly from Córdoba to Málaga we decided to take a slight detour and spend a night and a day at a mountaintop town just over a hundred kilometres West of Malaga.
Soon after our Renfe train rolls in to the small, charming railway station, we are on the way to the hotel in a cab. Though it’s twilight already and the street lights have just come on, the sights around hold the promise of interesting atmosphere and delightful visual revelations to come. In that moment you know that this was a worthy detour.
Ronda is a gorgeous town, pun fully intended.
The breathtaking larger views from a town atop a mountain, looking at the pleasing landscape all around, the El Tajo gorge underneath the Puente Nuevo bridge, the valleys surrounding it. As well as the narrower and more intimate sights one takes in strolling through this immensely charming town, the little streets, the shops, the balconies, the eateries and cafes, all so pleasing to the senses.
A brief early history of Ronda up till the beginning of the Moorish period:
The early Celts were the first settlers in 6th century BC, giving its its original name Arunda.
Later, the Phoenicians founded the nearby Acinipo (land of the wines) now in ruins. In the 2nd Century B.C. came the Romans, who engaged in wars with the Carthaginians.
After the Carthaginians’ defeat in the 2nd Punic War the Romanisation of Acinipo in particular led to a period in which it was developed into a major municipality, while Ronda itself had been a fortified post for the Romans during the 2nd Punic War and also developed as a municipality. Following periods of peace, unrest and invasion for both towns, the eventual decline of the Roman Empire led to the pillage and destruction of both towns. Acinipo was eventually abandoned by the 6th century. Ronda however would see a period of great prosperity upon the arrival of the Moors.
Opening the balcony doors and looking out the next morning as dawn was about to break, one of the first things I saw was a ceramic tiled mural on the wall of the building literally right across from our hotel. On top of the main illustration panel, hard to discern clearly since it was not quite daylight yet, there was a large decorative title panel with something on it in Spanish, which I would read a bit later when I was standing before it in brighter light as Ronda a los Viajeros Romanticos. Ronda to the Romantic Travellers.
This mural is dedicated to the artistic, creative, poets and storytellers who have been drawn to this gem of a place in Andalusia. Surrounding the central panel are eleven smaller panels with quotes by 18th century travellers extolling the beauty of Ronda. The Romantic Travellers who undertook the way of the so called Grand Tour in search of authenticity, that include Washington Irving, Antoine de Latour, Edmond Boissier, and Lady Tennyson.
A period of rapid industrialisation in the countries of North Europe eliminated many natural spots and created a sense of rootlessness in people due to the constant population movements from the countryside to the cities. The loss of that natural paradise made young upper-class people undertake an unprecedented travel, the so-called Grand Tour, the search for the roots of civilization. This ritual continued until well into the 20th century.
The archaeological remains — the ruins — from Greece and Italy, the incredible landscapes of the European mountains or picturesque Spain were the favoured destinations in this Tour.
Distanced from the Age of Enlightenment and the dominance of cold reason, these parts of Europe provided the Romantic Travellers with a sense of something more real and visceral, that stirred their senses and passion.
And so we see the context that drew Ernest Hemingway, and Orson Welles, and many others in the 20th century. Hemingway loved the town greatly and spent many summers here as a part time resident. The hotel we stayed in, located just steps from the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), is called Hotel Palacio De Hemingway.
Not an enthusiast of bullfighting myself, but any mention of Ronda would be incomplete without a mention of its bullfighting traditions and fame, pioneered by native torero Francisco Romero, the grandfather of the celebrated bullfighter Pedro Romero. At the entrance of a small park area outside Ronda’s famed bullring are the busts of Hemingway and Welles, both particularly fascinated by this aspect of Ronda.
During its development in its Muslim period from the 8th century onward, Ronda became the Taifa of Ronda, an independent kingdom, a time when the city flourished and was developed greatly. Many important buildings were built, such as the Arab Baths, Mondragón Palace, while the city walls were developed and fortified over the centuries. Art and philosophy also flourished under this new period.
In the 13th century, the Reconquista got underway in the South of Spain. During this time, Ronda had a position of strategic importance due to its proximity to the territories conquered by the Castilians. The Christian army surrounded the city in 1485 and Ronda was finally reconquered that year when it surrendered after a brief siege.
The 18th century was important for Ronda for various building projects. The Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), Plaza de Toros (Bullring), the aqueduct of La Hidalga, and the Plaza España were all built in that century. The Puente Nuevo allowed for the expansion of the city and the development of new streets. The Plaza España was the location of a new market.
In the early 19th century, conditions during the French occupation led to hunger and misery among the populace and heightened political instability due to the occupation. The French also destroyed many important buildings when they retreated from the town such as the Castle, along with aqueducts, walls and paths. This was also the period in which the legend of bandits (bandoleros) was formed, which inspired a great number of novels by the romantic writers of the time. The bandits were said to have originated with the guerrilla fighters that fought against the French in the early 18th century, and later became bands of highwaymen and bandits that robbed people travelling through the region.
As a result of the bad agricultural situation in Andalusia and a drought suffered in 1905, Ronda was in dire straits economically at the beginning of the 20th century. It was also the site of much fighting during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), and a famous scene in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is said to have been inspired by an actual event in which Fascist sympathisers were thrown from the cliff into the gorge by Republican partisans. The truth of this incident is heavily disputed, however.
Today, Ronda attracts tourists from across the world and is one of the most charming and beautiful towns in Andalusia. Which I was destined to discover in October 2023.
Photos: Munaf Husain © 2023
