Puento Neuvo (New Bridge) Ronda |
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Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Málaga within the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is located about 60km from Marbella and 116km from Malaga. Ronda is situated in a very mountainous area about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above mean sea level. The Guadalevín River runs through the city, dividing it in two and carving out the steep, 100 plus meters deep El Tajo canyon upon which the city perches. The Spanish Fir (Abies pinsapo) is endemic to the mountains surrounding Ronda. Ronda was first settled by the early Celts, but its Roman and then Moorish rulers are reflected most prominently in its architecture. The forces of Catholic Spain took control of the town in 1485, during the Reconquista. Acinipo is known locally as Ronda la Vieja, Arunda or Old Ronda. But Acinipo and Arunda (Ronda) are really separate towns of Roman origin. Three bridges, Puente Romano ("Roman Bridge", also known as the Puente San Miguel), Puente Viejo ("Old Bridge", also known as the Puente Arabe or "Arab Bridge") and Puente Nuevo ("New Bridge"), span the canyon. This magnificent structure is one of the most photographed in Spain. On one side of the bridge is the old Moorish town with many historic buildings including the House of the Moorish King. On the other side is El Mercadillo, a more recent urban development. The term "nuevo" is a bit of a misnomer, as the building of Puente Nuevo commenced in 1751 and took until 1793 to complete. The Puente Nuevo is the tallest of the bridges, towering 120 metres (390 ft) above the canyon floor, and all three serve as some of the city's most impressive features. Another important site in Ronda is the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain that is still used. It was built in 1784 in the Neoclassical style by the architect José Martin de Aldehuela who also designed the Puente Nuevo. The partially intact baños árabes ("Arab baths") are found below the city and date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent many summers in Ronda as part-time residents of Ronda's old town quarter called La Ciudad. Both wrote about Ronda's beauty and famous bull-fighting traditions. The former town hall, which sits next to the Puente Nuevo, is the site of a parador, and has an impressive view of the Tajo. |
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