Plaza de Toros de Ronda

The Plaza de Toros de Ronda ^[1] is a Bullring in Ronda, it has a diameter of 66 metres (217 ft), surrounded by a passage formed by two rings of stone. There are two layers of seating, each with five raised rows and 136 pillars that make up 68 arches. The Royal Box has a sloping roof covered in Arabic tiles. The design of the main entrance to the bull ring features two Tuscan columns and the royal shield of Spain surround by baroque edging. The main door is large enough to allow horses and carriages to enter the ring, and above the door is an iron wrought balcony that embodies the bullfighting culture.

History

The city of Ronda is home to the Real Maestranza de Caballería, the oldest and most noble order of horsemanship in Spain since 1485. In that year, the Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella won Ronda back from the Moors and ended over seven centuries of Islamic rule. Construction of the bullring started in 1779 and finished in 1785.^[2] It stands on the west edge of Ronda, about two blocks from Puente Nuevo and the El Tajo canyon. The design is attributed to the architect Martín de Aldehuela. While it may not be the oldest bull fighting ring in Spain, it is one of the first entirely constructed from stone, instead of a combination of stone and brick. The architecture is also unique in that all seating in the ring is covered. It is considered a rather small arena with only five thousand seats, but the bull ring itself is the largest in Spain. Ronda's first inaugural bull fighting event in May of 1784 resulted in a partial collapse of the stands, and the structure had to be closed temporarily for repairs. It reopened the next year in May of 1785 with its second inaugural event, which is known as one of the greatest bullfights in Ronda's history. Rivals Pedro Romero and Pepe Hillo faced each other in front of the most noble families in Ronda.

In 1923, the original Espinel theater in Ronda was built next to the main entrance of the Plaza de Toros de Ronda. Subsequently the entrance was relocated to Virgen de la Paz, where it still stands across from a restaurant named after the famous Pedro Romero. Later, in the 1980s, the old Espinel theater was demolished and relocated, and it gave way to a parking lot. In 2009, that parking lot was finally removed and the city of Ronda opened up a competition for designers to construct new gardens next to the entrance of the bullfighting ring. Some historians argued that the entrance should be restored in its original locations, but today gardens that embody the golden era of bullfighting in Spain now stretch to a scenic outlook next to the ring.

Bullfighters

Soon after the ring's creation in the 18th century, the Romero family of Ronda emerged to provide over three generations of

stand outside one of the entrances to the bullring. Ordoñez created the Feria Goyesca, a bullfight held the first week of September every year in honor of Pedro Romero. The Ordoñez family, widely considered the second bullfighting dynasty of Ronda, participates in the spectacle along with the bullfighters and their assistants. They dress up in costumes reminiscent of the characters in paintings by Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya.

Because of its rural location and the small size of the surrounding town of

for example. The bullring in Ronda is open to the public, charging admission fee of EUR 9.00 (2023).

Museum

The bullring also houses a museum dedicated to the spectacle. The Museo Taurino holds two centuries of famous bullfighting regalia and important outfits. The collection also includes an extensive amount of weapons used by the Real Maestranza in Spanish war. The museum is open all year except the week of the Feria in September, and costs 9.00 euros to enter.

Other uses

In 1994, US singer

.

References

External links

• Official Website: Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda
• Ronda Today English language tourist Information about Ronda and surrounding areas.

36°44′32″N 5°10′01″W / 36.742361°N 5.167067°W / 36.742361; -5.167067