Ronda – Mercadillo – Puente Nueva and around

The barrio of Mercadillo is separated from the old town, La Ciudad, by El Tajo, a deep canyon formed by the Guadalevín River. The famous Puente Nuevo was built in 1751 (completed in 1793) to better connect the two districts.

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The bridge is ‘new’ in that it’s more recent than the Puente Viejo further down the gorge.

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The 120 m (390 ft) drop is vertigo-inducing…

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…but does provide stunning views in many directions.

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In Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, a scene in Chapter Ten describes the execution of Fascist sympathisers during the Spanish Civil War. The Republicans kill them by throwing them off the cliffs of a fictional village in Andalusia. It’s said that Hemingway modelled it on real events that took place in Ronda.

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If you walk along the street with your back to the bridge, through Plaza Espana, and along Calle Virgen de la Paz, you will come to the famous bullring which is the oldest in Spain.

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At the end of Calle Virgen de la Paz is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced.

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Back over the bridge next!

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