The Bridges of Ronda

Let's now explore the three bridges that span the 100 yard deep el Tajo gorge.

Puente Nuevo

If you buy only one postcard here, it will be of the new bridge, Puente Nuevo, In this case "new" means 1793 when it completed after over 40 years of construction. (It replaced a bridge designed by King Philip V and built much quicker (eight months but el Tajo gobbled it up --and about 50 people crossing on it -- after only 6 years. Did you want speed or accuracy?)

Note the bottom-most span that holds up the main arch somewhat like a multi-tiered Roman aqueduct. In 1936, near the start of Spain’s civil war, a mob threw over 500 fascist sympathizers into this gorge. A young war correspondent named Hemingway fictionalized it in “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” It was a while before he was Donne with Spain.
 
We look west in the pictures at left; the boxy elegant structure peeking over the bridge is one of Spain’s newest Paradors converted from the old town hall. The new bridge rises 390 feet above the chocolate river Guadalevín. The architect who completed the bridge (and died a decade later -- contrary to a local rumor that he jumped from the bridge during construction) was José Martín de Aldehuela. He may be best known for designing the mammoth cathedral in this area's major city, Malaga. He used stone from the gorge below (perhaps some of it from the prior collapsed bridge as well.)
 
Infrastructure defines urban growth: The bridge dramatically changed town life. Today its 200 square foot center room houses a museum about itself and the area’s natural history and environment. During the 19th century, it was a prison and also housed political prisoners during Spain’s 1930s uncivil war. (Bars on the windows were probably not needed!). It takes 3 arches to span the gulch at the top level; the bridge that fell was a single arch. As Einstein said, make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. The overall design and bottom third of this 75 foot wide structure is the work of Domingo Lois de Monteagudo. Work stalled in 1785 when the master José Martin de Aldehuela (who had just finished the town’s bull ring) was tasked with finishing up, along with a local engineer Antonio Diáz Machuca who invented equipment to lift stones from the gorge far below.


 

The Arab bridge

Two older bridges cross the Rio Guadalevín. The older and further upstream is the single-arched Bridge of San Miguel or the Arab Bridge (shown above). It’s also called the Roman bridge for no apparent reason other than there may have been a bridge here in Roman days since this is the only part of the old town accessible from the North. Many repairs have obscured much of the Moorish construction. It leads to the old San Miguel quarter, named after a hermitage across from the old Arab baths

Puerto Viejo

Above is the Old (but not the oldest) Bridge – called Puente Viejo. Nowadays it carries only pedestrians. At the foundation of this 16th century structure are remnants of a bridge built about the same time. Could this have replaced another bridge that fell? Here Puente Viejo links the old Moorish town with a small market area called Padre Jesús that sprung up after the Reconquista. The Old Bridge was restored without much respect for history during the 1960s; Its single arch formed by a double row of bricks and appears to seamlessly integrate into the city walls here.

City walls

Speaking of city walls, let’s explore these 12th century Walls of La Cijara which protect the eastern end of the Moor’s town (Ciudad). Seen here is the inner of the double wall fortifications. These were originally adobe but upgraded to stone in the 14th century and seriously restored in 1975.

Next we check out Ronda's Arab baths, the best-conserved in all Iberia.  Join us by clicking here.

Please join us in the following slide show to give Ronda the viewing it deserves by clicking here.

Ronda, Spain

---

Previous: Natural History Next: Arab Baths

TIP: Click on any picture to see it full size. PC users, push F11 to see it even larger.

TIP: See the rest of our travel pictures by clicking here.

TIP: See these pictures as a slide show by clicking here.