By David Eade
Last week Ronda held its annual fair dedicated to Pedro Romero, the father of the modern bullfight. The entire week has a Goya theme, is presided over by the Damas Goyesca and culminates on the Saturday with the celebrity bullfight where the traditional style of dress holds sway.
One of the first events of the week is the kidnapping of a celebrity or celebrities by men dressed in the style of the bandits – the infamous “bandoleros” that used to roam the Serranía de Ronda in past centuries. This year they seized Lina Insa, the visiting mayor of the Valencia municipality of Ontiyent who had brought a delegation to Ronda for the festivities. Amongst their number were “Moors and Christians” who had taken part in the fair’s opening parade.
The bandits on foot and horseback kidnapped the visiting mayor at the town hall and duly led her away. However she was returned “sana y salva” when the mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, agreed to hand over a purse containing a sizeable ransom. Insa was then reunited with her Ontiyent party to continue their celebrations.
Well it sounds like good fun but the kidnapping has yet again provoked fury and an official complaint to be made to the Guardia Civil in Villamartín by Bandoleros Tours. Juan Luis Moreno Bernal, who runs the company, says it is just one of many ‘denuncias’ he has lodged as Ronda has repeated the offence year after year.
Juan Luis contends that in staging the re-enactment Ronda has infringed his company’s intellectual property rights in Spain. He explained that Bandoleros Tours is a private company and registered the “Secuestos Bandoleros” as a tourist attraction with the registry of intellectual property in Madrid in 1999.
He continued: “This activity has been made in to a star product of the private company and won an award at Fitur 2001 (Spain’s international travel trade fair) for the most original tourism product... It has been reported in the New York Times and in the leading communication media around the world.
Needless to say Ronda is ignoring Juan Luis’ protests as it has in past years. As the “bandoleros” are such a part of the history of the Serranía de Ronda it is hard to see how such a re-enactment could infringe the law – although Juan Luis believes otherwise. However if an idea is to be kidnapped it is very appropriate that bandits are at the heart of it.
NO DAVID CAMERON AT GOYESCA BULLFIGHTThe highlight of the Ronda feria in honour of Pedro Romero is the Saturday bullfight in the style of Goya. It has long taken over as a social event and part of the fun is guessing which celebrities would appear.
In the days before the event the whispers in the bars of the town were that British Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Julio Iglesias would be there. In the event none of them put in an appearance and whilst Cameron does holiday in the area it is difficult imagining him going to a bullfight – a very controversial act with a General Election looming.
Amongst the great, good and not so good present were Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Duquesa de Alba, Cari Lapique, Manuel Lombo, Leli Céspedes, Carmen Lomana, Lita Trujillo, Princesa Beatriz de Orleans and fashion designers Victorio y Lucchino.
Also amongst the number was model and TV presenter Eva González who is the current girlfriend of matador Cayetano Rivera. Rivera caused his own controversy by taking part in the bullfight in an Armani suit of lights (see above) rather than the traditional Goyesca dress.
Cayetano Rivera, Perera and Manzanares were the three matadors taking part in the celebrity Goya event arriving at the plaza de toros in horse drawn carriages accompanied by the Damas Goyescas. After the event they were cheered by those present and carried shoulder high.
RONDA PUSHES FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES CENTRE
Ronda is pushing the regional government to set up a Centro de Estudios Andaluces e Islámicos in the town of the Tajo. Mayor Antonio Marín is promoting the idea through PSOE, the party he and his Partido Andalucista councillors joined after abandoning the PA. The socialists control the regional government.
Ironically Marín is backing his call with pointing out that Ronda is “the cradle of andalucismo” and it was there that at a conference in 1918 Blas Infante – the father of modern Andalucía – created the flag and coat of arms of the region. This movement also gave rise to the Partido Andalucista – the party Marín has disowned.
Marín has promised two palaces that could be used as locations for the centre and would be restored for the purpose. One is the former house of the Duquesa de Ahumada in the historic area of the town whilst the other is in the calle Armiñán.
According to the Efe news agency the regional government is very receptive to the proposal and will pass the project to the ministry of tourism or culture.
ROBBERS IDENTIFIED
Ronda’s National Police have issued warrants for two men they have identified as being the culprits behind the armed robbery at the Hotel Reina Victoria on July 5. The duo struck at 11.00 and took around 600 euros from the safe. Police say one of them was involved in the recent robbery at the BP petrol station for which two women have been detained.
HARVEST TIME
The grape picking season has started in the Serranía de Ronda. It is estimated that a million kilos of grapes will be harvested which will produce 800,000 bottles of largely red wine. The harvest will take two months giving employment to 200 people. The main grape types are Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Merlot and Chardonnay with the wine going to national and international markets.
HEART STARTER
A possible life saving donation has been made by Ronda town hall to the Protección Civil ambulance service in the town. The municipal delegate of health, Antonio Aranda, handed over a defibrillator to the voluntary organisation for use by its personnel in cases of emergency where they have to attend to heart attack victims or those whose hearts have stopped and need restarting.
FIRE RESCUE
At 23.00 on Friday the fire brigade in Ronda rescued four people from a building in the calle Sevilla. Those rescued were a 75-year-old woman plus three men aged 79, 28 and 26. The building contained four apartments of which only two were occupied. The four suffered smoke inhalation as they were led to safety down the stairs but did not require hospitalisation.
BACK HOME
The Virgen de la Cabeza – designated the Queen of the Serranía de Ronda – has been escorted back to her winter resting place in the Santa María la Mayor church. She will remain there till next year’s Trinity Sunday when she will be taken in procession to the 9 th century Cuevas de San Antón – the 30 th anniversary of the restoration of the event.
ONE CAR
The CCOO has highlighted the fact that Ronda local police only have one vehicle adapted for the 092 emergency service. The rental of two vehicles has not been renewed and a fourth vehicle has broken down. This has led to officers using the Patrulla Verde’s four-wheel drive or the van for taking statements neither of which have been adapted to transporting detained people.
INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
The traditionally rural municipality of Cuevas del Becerro is attempting to bring light industry to the village by developing an industrial estate. To this end 250,000 euros is being invested in upgrading the Camino de la Palmas that leads to the site. The project will also create employment with 11 workers taken on to do the task. The scheme will see better drainage, water, power and communications infrastructure placed underground, pavements and the creation of green zones.
FLOOD PAYMENT
It is estimated that the damage to private property in Ronda resulting from the storm damage on August 11 is 1.5 million euros. Last week the Andalucía government’s provincial delegate, María Gámez, visited the town to see for herself and promised 250,000 in immediate funding adding the eventual aid package would come from the central and regional governments plus the province of Málaga.
