Imogen CalderwoodRONDA’S treasured archaeological site Acinipo needs urgent action to avoid disappearing altogether.
One of Andalucia’s most important cultural sites, the Roman ruins has been added to a ‘red list’ of at-risk assets by non-profit association Hispania Nostra.
Dating back to the first century BC, Acinipo was a city created for retired soldiers from Caesar’s Roman legions.
Just 20km from Ronda, the Ibero-Roman settlement – which includes a Roman theatre still in use today – is known locally as Ronda la Vieja, or Old Ronda.
But constant pillaging, progressive deterioration and no conservative action from the Junta is said to be putting the site in jeopardy.
Isabel Maria Barriga, Ronda’s Councillor for Tourism, has again urged the Junta to take urgent action to save the site.
“We have presented an incredible variety of ideas for how to rescue the ruins, but the Junta seems to have other priorities that are not Ronda,” she said.
There are currently 605 monuments in a similar situation across Spain, according to Hispania Nostra, which was created in 1976 to preserve Spanish cultural heritage.
But with 72 ‘at-risk’ sites, Andalucia has the dubious honour of leading the pack.
“but the Junta seems to have other priorities that are not Ronda”
Like embezzling more EU funds. etc.
The Junta don’t care
I live opposite the Alhambra and was horrified to know that the Granada city council are STILL thinking of building apartment blocks on the hill underneath the monument.
These folks are simply a bunch of uncultured barbarians
Of course if these monuments had a catholic heritage, things would undoubtedly be different.
No offence intended to any catholic readers, but Spain’s track record in preserving anything which isn’t catholic is nothing short of criminal – in cultural terms
Bing Dong, even Catholic heritage doesn’t guarantee care or respect. In Jerez de la Frontera they built a monstrosity less than 5 meters from the beautiful little Hermita de la Guia. No apartments in this monstrosity were sold, so the result is a half-built monstrosity completely blotting out the hermita… ugly and no use to anyone. It also blocks out what were the only views of the vineyards from the Alameda around the Alcazar.
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