Palacio de Mondragón

The Palacio de Mondragón in Ronda houses the municipal museum.

It contains a collection of archaeological and historical artefacts from the Ronda area and illustrates the rich history of the region from the 3rd millenium B.C.

The building itself is very impressive with some of the internal areas dating back to Moorish times.

The main entrance however (pictured right) and the external building were built in the 18th century.

I must admit that for me the main interest lay in the building itself with its many lovely courtyards and arcades.

At the rear were some ornamental gardens, looking out over the precipice of Ronda to the mountains of the Serrania de Ronda beyond.

This lovely vaulted ceiling with what looked like original plaster and painting was a surprise on one of the stairwells.

The exhibition halls were well lit with many exhibits and explanations in both spanish and english.


























The gift and souvenir shop on the exit from the museum.
Click here for much more information on the history of the building and the museum.

We left the museum and walked the short distance via the Plaza Maria Auxiliadora to stop off for a coffee before returning to where we had parked the car. Incidentally, the Plaza is the starting point of a footpath that winds it's way down the cliff face to the bottom of the gorge.

Before returning home, I was determined to find the route and then get a view from the bottom of the Punte Nuevo (New Bridge), built in the 18th century, 100 metres above the Tajo Gorge.