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Ronda Virtual Tour!

Ronda Virtual Tour

The Bullfighting Museum, Ronda Plaza de Toros in Ronda, Spain

Ronda's bullring, due to its history and architecture, to its character and beauty, is recognized as one of the oldest of Spain, and also as one the most monumental existing bullrings. Ronda is considered as one of the modern bullfighting art birthplaces. Bullfighting originated in the 18th century , in a city where the Cavalry was alive and very popular, due to the existance of one corporation, whose main activity was to avoid the disappearance of the equestrian art. The defense needs of the territory aimed king Philip II to found at 1572 the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda (Royal Cavalry Order of Ronda), for the maintenance of horses. In order to achieve this Royal decree, Real Maestranza Organization created a city space for equestrian exercices, and, among them, traditional in Ronda & all Spain, were games of hability against bulls.

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In the 18th century unmounted bullfighters replaced the horse knights in bullfighting. During this period, the Romero family arrived in Ronda, and, over 3 generations, emerged as the finest bullfighting family of that age. The most important was Pedro Romero (1754-1839), main and most representative figure of the Bullfighting Art. He retired after bringing to death to more than 5000 bulls without suffering any kind of injury. His character and personality achieved the respect and social acknowledgement of the bullfighter's trade, due to the addition of courage, hability and aesthetical beauty that it brings.

The rise of bullfighting led the Royal Cavalry of Ronda to build its famous bullring, made by Martín de Aldehuela, the same architect of the great New Bridge over the River Valley (Tajo) of Ronda.

The bullring's completion took six years & was inaugurated in 1785 with the first bullfight; featuring Pedro Romero and Pepe Illo. Built from sandstone, its architecture is noble, with a double gallery of arches and no uncovered sections. Ronda Bullring envokes a cloister rather than a place for bullfighting. Its aspect pays homage to the famous circular courtyard of the Palace of Charles V at the Alhambra of Granada in Andalucia. The bullfighting surface (arena) is 66 metres in diameter, and is surrounded by one lane formed by two stone rings. The section for the spectators comprises 5 rows of stands, at two levels with 136 columns forming 68 arches of Tuscany columns, except the ones belonging to the Royal box. Covered with a two sided arab brick roof, the elegance of the bullring's inside cannot be compared to any other place for this purpose in Spain.

In the 20th century, a second dynasty of Ronda's bullfighters, the Ordóñez, contributed to the history of the bullfighting art given by the city of Ronda. Cayetano Ordóñez and his son Antonio Ordóñez achieved much acclaim because their way of bullfighting, counting famous people like Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway amongst their fans for bullfighting.

It was just Antonio Ordóñez who, in 1954, founded the world known goyesca bullfight, where the decoration and the clothing of bullfighters and spectators brings us to the age of the famous painter Goya.