Real Maestranza bullring and its museum

What it is

The bullring of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, at calle Virgen de la Paz, 15, two minutes from the Puente Nuevo. The Maestranza is a noble corporation founded in 1573 which, in the last quarter of the 18th century, built this sandstone ring. It was inaugurated in 1785 with a bullfight by Pedro Romero, the Ronda bullfighter, and the Sevillian Pepe Hillo. It is a Bien de Interés Cultural and stands out for its double gallery of arches with Tuscan columns covering the stands. Today the Maestranza is a non-profit institution, presided over by the king, devoted to its heritage, its archive and the teaching of horsemanship.

What you can see

You walk on the ring and go round the stands, the pens, the bull chutes, the stables and the chapel. The museum is divided into several rooms:

• Real Maestranza room: four centuries of the institution, linked to cavalry and the nobility.
• Tauromachy room: the Romero and Ordóñez dynasties, posters signed by artists, anti-bullfighting thought through history and the role of women in bullfighting.
• Real Guarnicionería de la Casa de Orleans: the gala and everyday harness of the Duke of Montpensier's carriages, with Mameluke and Oriental saddles.

Next to the ring are the riding school and stables of the Maestranza Equestrian School, which trains classical dressage riders with pure-bred Spanish horses. Sometimes you can see part of the daily work.

Hours and admission

It opens every day: from 10:00 to 18:00 from November to February, until 19:00 in March and October and until 20:00 from April to September. General admission costs €10 and €12 with an audio guide, in 13 languages. Groups of 15 to 30 people pay €8 and go with a guide. Information on 952 871 539. The Maestranza warns that consolidation works are under way and apologises for any inconvenience.

The Goyescas

Since 1954, on the initiative of the Ronda bullfighters Cayetano and Antonio Ordóñez, the ring holds its Corridas Goyescas at the end of summer, the city's bullfighting event of the year. If your trip coincides, check first on the Maestranza website whether it can be visited on those days.

Nearby

You come out onto the Alameda del Tajo, which is right next door, and in five minutes you reach the Puente Nuevo. If you go with children, the visit with an audio guide lasts about an hour and they usually like the ring more than the display cases.