By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
The council of the Andalucía government last week placed in the catalogue of historical heritage sites the Roman ruins at Acinipo. It has been entered in the section relating to archaeological zones.
Acinipo is within the municipality of Ronda some 20 kilometres from the town centre. It was the original settlement in the area and is one of the most important archaeological sites in Andalucía. It dates from the first century BC and was used until the Nazari era.
Acinipo has been well preserved given that it was largely uninhabited after the end of the Roman epoch. The site also contains remains from a fortified Iberian settlement with some circular and rectangular prehistoric homes.
Of the Roman town there are the vestiges of the wall, the urbanisation with terraces and some private homes with painted walls. Near the Roman theatre are some ceramic ovens and two necropolises where they held funerals. There are also baths that were part of the forum complex with painted stones dating from the first century AD.
All these remains along with the theatre have been protected since 1931. To this has now been added the Mesa de Ronda la Vieja which takes in a zone of 251.66 hectares.
The theatre is one of the oldest and best preserved in Spain. To this day can be seen the graded seating in consecutive rows. At the front is the orchestra or semi-circular spaces reserved for the dignitaries. These are marked out in pink local stone. Behind the stage rises the high frontage of the building which in the Greek style has three entrances.
The archaeological excavations currently underway have been very fruitful. Amongst the discoveries has been a large extension dating from the first century AD possibly associated with the forum of the town which includes three tiered bathing pools. Also uncovered is part of the water heating system.
Ronda town hall is to create an interpretation centre at Acinipo. However this has been put on hold as both the regional government and environmentalists have objected to its location.
MAYOR ARRESTED
Alpandeire - a Serranía de Ronda village best known as the birth place of Fray Leopoldo – has had its mayor arrested by the Guardia Civil. Gabriel Jiménez is accused of buying stolen heavy construction machinery. A man in San Pedro and Estepona have been arrested for robbery plus another in Ronda for receiving. It remains to be seen whether PSOE insists he resigns.
HABITUAL ROBBER
Local police recently arrested a 35-year-old Ronda man for breaking into a bar in the plaza Duquesa de Parcent making off with the till. First arrested in mid-January he was charged with a total of 18 such offences - that total has risen to 24. The one man crime wave was released by the court but now has been jailed for 18 months.
BONES FOUND
During construction work on a site between the calles Torrejones and Empedrada in the San Francisco old quarter of Ronda ten skeletons and coins have been uncovered. All face towards Mecca and it is believed the site was a burial ground dating back to the Muslim era. Two of the skeletons have been identified as children aged around 3 and 8 years.
ROUND-ABOUTS
Roundabouts are on the agenda in Ronda where large amounts are being spent to easy the traffic flow. The new 23,000 euros roundabout inaugurated last week is easing traffic through the industrial estate which has seen its flow increase to 13,000 vehicles a day because of diversions caused by the massive new access programme. Two new roundabouts are planned for the industrial zone.
SERRANÍA PROJECTS
Two villages in the Serranía de Ronda are benefiting from projects funded by the province. In Faraján there is now an old people’s residence which can cater for 29 people from throughout the area and has created ten jobs. In Alpandeire the first brick has been laid for the new municipal swimming pool. Catering for 156 it will be completed for next year.
LIGHTS OUT
Montejaque faces having the plug pulled. It owes around 240,000 euros to Eléctrica Serranía de Ronda with the town hall’s bill dating back to 2001. The case has gone to Ronda’s court because money was assigned to pay the debt and used for other purposes. The mayor says the debt is no higher than other municipalities and money was used on vital services.
LEAVING TOWN
The parents of María Esther, the 13-year-old murdered in Arriate on January 20, will leave the village after the mass in her memory. They are from Paterna in Cádiz but moved to Arriate to work five years ago. A petition is making the rounds in Arriate demanding the Ley del Menor is changed to increase the penalties for minors convicted of blood crimes.
MOUNTAIN RESCUE
An 8-year-old girl was rescued from the Sierra de las Nieves by Ronda’s Guardia Civil, fire brigade, Protección Civil and forest guards. The child was enjoying a day at Puerto de Los Pilones, one of the highest peaks in the park, with her parents when she fell injuring her back. Rescuers took her by stretcher to Quejifales refuge where an ambulance was waiting.
STORK’S NEST
A campaign is underway to extend the number of stork nests in the Serranía. The birds are widespread in Cádiz and Huelva but less so in Málaga with nests in Alameda, Ronda and Arriate. A new nest has been placed in the high chimney of an old soap factory in La Indiana and it is hoped that young birds from Ronda and Arriate will nest there.
