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Ronda Tourism Guide to the City's History & Origins
Welcome to Five Continent Group's Ronda Tourism Guide. Here you will find information on Ronda in Andalucia, Spain. Its easy to navigate your way around Ronda...simply click on the headed links on the left hand side. FCG offers historical detail & background for the City of Ronda, plus the finest selection of Hotels, Monuments, Cathedral, Parks, Activities, Restaurants & Shops in Ronda.
Ronda has been proven by archaeological findings in the Old City to be one of the First cities of Spain. It's origins date back to Neolithic times, however evidence suggests even earlier settlement in Ronda: Cave paintings found at the Pileta's Cave are some of the best examples of all the Paleolithic age in Andalucia.
Evidence of Prehistorical human settlements remain in Ronda, many now carefully conserved archaeological digs that can still be admired nowadays, like the megalithic Necropolis: Dolmen of El Chopo and Encinas Borrachas among others. It was at that time when the most important human settlements of the region were well defined: Acinipo and Ronda, but the City's rise and thriving economic times arrived later.
The time of Acinipo was during the Roman Empire but the Ronda we know came to being during the Middle Ages.
Many remains from the Roman Conquests in the Iberian Peninsula are still found in Ronda, the most important of wich is the archaeological site of the Roman City of Acinipo because of its conservation: some of its elements belonging to a Classic Roman city, for example, the Theatre.
Once Acinipo fell during the turbulent Fall of the Roman Empire, attention was paid to present site of the city of Ronda....
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Above is Plaza Duquesa de Parcent/Plaza Mayor, Ronda. Click & Drag your mouse on the Virtual Photo to move up, down, left & right...
That city, despite being a small settlement during the start of the Middle Ages, soon became central to important historic events and an Arabesque civilisation grew. (Ronda owes this era for it's town planning, gastronomy, traditions, farming systems, etc.) At that time, Ronda appears to have been one of the leading cities, becoming main city of one of the Kuras (Provinces) of Al-Andalus (the province of Ronda was named after Takurunna). Ronda even achieved the status of an Independent Kingdom (The Taifas Kingdom) after the fall of the Kingdom of Cordoba.
The most important contribution by Ronda, and the reason for its fame, coincided with the Nazari Kingdom of Granada, because of its closeness to the territories conquered by the Catholics coming from Castilla. That meant the city and region of Ronda became a very important border zone.
After the conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs(1485) deep economic and cultural changes happened, which can be still seen at the structure of the city: Opening of squares not existing before, streets made broader, etc.
By the 18th century, Ronda earnt it's definitive role within the province of Andalucia.
It was during this period that the most relevant and well-known monuments of the city where built, as symbols of the former aristocracy and the presence Ronda: The New Bridge and the Bullring.
During the 19th century, the romantic image of the city grew, as well as the legend of its Serrania (mountains), a world of the bandits and the art of bullfighting creating a deep & lasting impression for many important visitors and travellers alike.
Both aspects have been converted since then into symbols of Ronda's culture and tradition. Despite this, the cultural and traditional richness of Ronda is much wider and diverse that the one offered by this image, cliched as it is. This diversity is the current attraction of Ronda and its Serrania.
Ronda holds many of Andalucia's finest sights, hotels, restaurants, Museums, Monuments, shops & activities.
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