Ronda, una ciudad soñada

Ronda is one of the oldest cities in Spain. Its origins date back to the Neolithic, according to archaeological discoveries made in its old town. However, the presence of man in these lands is much earlier. Good proof of this is a series of sites in caves, among which the Cueva de la Pileta stands out, for being one of the best exponents of Andalusian Paleolithic rock art.

During Recent Prehistory, there would be a proliferation of settlements throughout the territory which, as regards the remains that have survived to this day, will be represented by one of its most important and monumental cultural manifestations, such as the megalithic necropolis. : Dolmen del Chopo, Encinas Borrachas, among others.

It will be at this time, then, when the two most important towns in the region, Acinipo and Ronda, are also consolidated, although their respective peak periods only occur later; the first in Roman times and the second in medieval times.

Numerous vestiges of the Roman occupation of the Peninsula remain in our area, among which are those discovered in the city of Ronda itself. But, without a doubt, it is the archaeological site of the Roman city of Acinipo that enjoys the greatest importance, given its state of conservation as well as some of the most emblematic elements of a classical city, such as the theater.

With Acinipo gone, after the convulsive period that led to the fall of the Roman Empire, the center of attention will be directed towards Ronda, which, despite being a very small nucleus during the early Middle Ages, will since then be the protagonist of all the historical vicissitudes that They met in this territory.

Of these, the one that stands out for its importance and for the cultural legacy that it has left us and that is still perceptible in many of its manifestations (urbanism, gastronomy, traditions, cultivation systems, etc.), was the Islamic period.

It is at this time that Ronda is configured and consolidated as a city, becoming the capital of one of the Kuras (Provinces) into which al-Andalus (Takurunna) was divided, and even becoming an independent kingdom (the so-called taifa kingdoms) after the dismantling of the Cordovan caliphate.

But the most significant role, and the one for which it is best known, will come with the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, since its proximity to the territories conquered by the Castilians will mean that it will establish itself, both for the city and the region, as a border enclave. of special importance.

With the conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs (1485), profound economic and cultural transformations took place that can still be seen today in the physiognomy of the urban structure: opening of previously non-existent squares, widening of streets, etc.

But it will be the eighteenth century that marks, in this modern age, the definitive guidelines of the role that Ronda will have in the context of Andalusia.

It is at this time when the most significant and emblematic monuments of the aristocracy of that time and of the current Ronda are built: the New Bridge and the Plaza de Toros.

From then on, and throughout the 19th century, the romantic image of the city was forged, as well as its Serranía, in which the world of banditry and bullfighting made a deep impression on many famous travelers.

Both aspects have since become symbols of our culture and tradition. However, Ronda’s cultural and traditional richness is much broader and more diverse than that offered by this image which, pleasant as it is, is nonetheless cliché. It is on this diversity that the current attractiveness of Ronda and its Serranía is based.