Ronda, in spite of being surrounded by the cragged mountain range that bears its name, lies on a large plateau, clearly defining the high and low Andalusia. The city overlooks, to the southwest, El Tajo (The Gorge), a natural gorge excavated over the years by the river Guadalevin, reaching 180 metres in the deepest part. This cut has split Ronda in two, but at the same time it has joined it, it has made it unique and has also made it known worldwide as one of the symbols of Andalusia.

This monumental city has been coveted throughout history by different cultures. In prehistoric times it was already a settlement, according to the remains found in the area, as well as cave paintings discovered in the Pileta cave, one of the best-preserved in the world. Bust Ronda did not become a trully Iberian city until its contact with the Phoenicians and the Creeks, in the last millennium before Christ.
The Celts settled later, founding Acinipo (the Old Ronda) and Arunda (present day Ronda), although the town acquired true importance under the Romans. Back then, it was the best road connecting the province of Málaga with Seville, but in turn it connected Algeciras (Cádiz) with Málaga. Acinipo was more important back then than Arunda, although they were often mistaken for each other and there was a fierce competition between them. At the end, Acinipo was abandoned and Arunda began to write the pages of history on its own.
The most flourishing period came with the Arabs, who settled throughout the region and shaped the current mountain range. The urban layout of the city was the work of these inhabitants, the main nucleus of which was the castle, surrounded by a neighbourhood called Izna Rond Onda, which means Castle of the Laurel. For many years, Ronda was a unique point of Arab resistance, due to its location and its impenetrable walls. But in May 1485, the troops of the Catholic Monarchs, led by the Prince Don Fernando, conquered it.
Bur Ronda has entered Spain's contemporary history as being the seat, in January 1918, of the Andalusian Congress, where the foundations of the autonomy of Andalusia were laid and the symbols of the region were established such as the flag (the green of Islam and the white of peace, and the parliament) and its hymn, composed by the Notary born in Casares, Blas Imfante.

Ronda and its neighbourhoods
Ronda's attractions are located in three different areas. Outside of the walls is the San Francisco neighbourhood, where the first inhabitans settled. The Almocabar and the Carlos V doors in the old walled enclosure, mark the beginning of the city, where the city's historical masterpices are found. Suddenly, we run into the church, fortress of the Holy Spirit that was built in the times of the Catholic Monarchs.
From here onwards, we will see a diversity of silent witnesses of past civilisations, such as the Santa María La Mayor church, which in Mozarab times was a mosque. Close by is the Town Hall building and the Mondragón Palace, seat of governors and kings and built by King Abomelic in 1314.
Near this is the Exijara door, which leads to the Jewish Quarter. Towards the New Bridge we find the San Sebastian minaret, from Ronda's Nazri period, and the Arab baths, the best preserved of Spain, dating back to the 13th century.
Heading towards the city's greatest attraction, The Gorge ( El Tajo), we find the Felipe V door, the Arab bridge and the Old Bridge, from where we see the Fountain of the Eight Spouts and the Padre Jesús Church. Close to the bridge is the Marques de Salvatierra palace and the Moorish King's House, both buildings from the 18th century. We then find the symbol of Ronda, the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo), where we will be awed by the enormity of the construction, which dates back to the 18th century. It took 42 years to build and it sits on the foundations of an old bridge that only stood for 5 years.
The architect, Juan Martín Aldehuela, also designed the bullring (year 1785), on the other side of the Gorge, in the area known as Mercadillo, which is the third part of the city, with a more modern look. This bullring is the largest of Spain, with 66 metres diameter, and is owned by the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, the first created in Spain and founded in 1572 by Felipe II. This ring has produced mythical bullfighters such as Pedro Romero, in whose honour the beautiful Goyesca bullfight is held every year.

Ronda and its lovers.
The beauty of its landscapes and its urban areas, its romantic spell, due to its legends and romances of Arabs bandits and bullfighters, have made Ronda a meeting point of travellers, artists and writers. Among these travellers we must mention Rainer Maria Rilke, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Hemmingway, Cernuda... If its visitors were important, so were many who were born in Ronda, sych as Vicente Espinel, Rios Rosas, Giner de los Rios, Pedro Romero and el Niño de la Palma.
But if anyone passionately loved everything about Ronda, that was Orson Welles. The great American actor and filmmaker travelled many times to Ronda to immerse himself in the bullfighting ambience, which he never could forget. After Welle's death, his daugthter expressed his wish to be buried in the land that so captivated him. In 1986, the ashes of this American genius were deposited in the San Cayetano property, owned by the Ordoñez family.
The truth is that anyone who visits the city will end up falling in love with its beauty, and those who are familiar with it, know that the more you contemplate it, the more it attracts, because the beauty of seduction of Ronda is eternal.