Plaza de Toros, Ronda

This morning we did a tour of the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda, the bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda. The defence needs of the territory in 1572 resulted in the founding of the Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda and it was necessary that a space was built for the handling of the horses and their exercises.

As was traditional in Spain in the Middle Ages, dexterity games with bulls were included. The bravery of the bulls when attacking horses and riders served as unparalleled training for the knights and became an exciting spectator the entire population. In the 18th century bullfighters on foot take over from the knights in the games with the bulls and bullfight continued from there along with the expansion of the bull ring.

While I think bull fighting is not a nice sport and very cruel I can’t help but admire the pageantry that goes with it, the vibrant colours, lush materials, the artistry of it all. It leaves me with very mixed feelings. The long history is interesting and the feeling standing in the bullring is hard to put into words. It was worth the visit.Read more