Ronda is a huge open-air museum in which history has left throughout the centuries its most precious works of art. Moreover, among its vast monumental heritage, the most romantic city of Malaga has an interesting network of exhibition spaces. It is no coincidence that this town charmed many romantic travellers and artists of all ages, such as Richard Ford, Ernst Hemingway, Orson Welles or Martin Amis. Are you in for a route through the museums of this mountainous capital?
Architecture and bullfighting
Our first stop is the Puente Nuevo Interpretation Centre. Located inside the monument itself, the exhibition invites visitors to discover the secrets of this stunning space built in the eighteenth century on the Tajo de Ronda. The views from here are breathtaking.
Under the front rows of the bullring, the other major local landmark of the town, we find the Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum). A tour through its rooms will delve you into the history of the ‘Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda y de la Tauromaquia’. Do not forget that, besides having one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, this town is the birthplace of modern bullfighting.
History and tradition
Crossing the Tajo, in the old town of Ronda, we find the Casa Palacio del Conde de las Conquistas de las Islas Batanes, also known as the seat of the Lara Museum. His collection ranges from ancient weapons, clocks and scientific instruments to a winery and an exhibition on witchcraft and the Inquisition.
Not very far from that is the Wine Interpretation Centre, where you will discover a tradition that dates back 6,000 years in time. The museum is a palatial home that worked for centuries as a warehouse and where tastings and wine events are organised. An ideal place to enjoy aromas and flavours of the local wines.
Art, archeology and customs
Nearby, in the Plaza del Gigante, the Palace of the Marquis of Moctezuma rises. This building now houses the collections of the Joaquin Peinado Museum, a Ronda-born painter considered one of the great exponents of the Spanish School of Paris.
Strolling through the captivating streets of Ronda you will get to the Mondragon Palace, with its mix of architectural styles from different eras. Inside the Municipal Museum awaits you, highlighting its archaeological pieces. This exhibition space will allow you to go back to Prehistory, the Roman Empire and the Arab period.
Just a few meters separate the last two stops of our cultural itinerary. The Museum of Hunting and the Museo del Bandolero (Museum of Bandits). The first one is dedicated to the hunting fauna of the Serrania de Ronda. The second, is an approach to the phenomenon of brigands who took refuge in these lands, something that fascinated romantic travellers so much.
Ronda will win you over. Not surprisingly, it is considered the most romantic city of the Costa del Sol.
