Ronda and the Lara Museum are an attraction worth seeing

The Lara Museum in Ronda is the largest private collection in Spain.

Ronda is an incredibly beautiful town in Andalusia, which was long ago divided in half by a deep gorge over 100 meters deep. According to Ernest Hemingway, it is the most beautiful town in the world. Is it really so? You have to judge for yourselves. We have seen prettier places, but there haven’t been many.

Ronda offers many attractions, from unforgettable views from high terraces overlooking the plain below to the ancient Arab architecture in the old town.

Attractions and history of the city of Ronda in Andalusia

There are plenty of galleries, exhibitions, and museums here. As for the latter, everyone should find something of interest. In one of the buildings, for example, memorabilia of former famous bandits who practised their infamous trade on Spanish backloads has been collected. Some of them are still perceived today as folk heroes, fighting against oppressive rich individuals; somewhat like the English Robin Hood or the Polish Janosik.

There is a museum in the city dedicated to the development and history of the city itself. You’ll also find an archaeological museum, full of valuable items unearthed from the Andalusian soil.

For those interested in fashion, both contemporary and historical, a museum dedicated to the clothing used in Spain over the centuries will be fascinating.

Everyone will find something for themselves in Ronda

I have written before about our penchant for exhibits in dusty museums. Of course, the dust is a metaphor; most museums are cleaned, polished, and smell nicer than many homes. Unless you happen to visit a place like the Thai-Burma Railway Museum in Kanchanaburi, commonly known as the Death Railway Museum. There, display cases and exhibits have not been dusted for over 50 years, which, in a strange way, makes them even more mysterious and intriguing.

Ronda Museum Lara and its collections

For us, the most intriguing museum in Ronda turned out to be the private collection of Mr. Juan Antonio Lara Jurado. As a devoted collector, he spent almost his entire life gathering exhibits, which we can now admire on the shelves and in the display cases of the Casa Palacio palace.

Antonio Lara Jurado is a figure akin to Charles Wade, a collector and owner of Snowhill Manor in England. Both gathered items that held extraordinary stories within them. Today, visiting such places gives us the opportunity to listen to these stories.

The Lara Museum may not be vast, but it offers several thematic exhibitions. The collections are organized based on their utility rather than the period of origin.

So what can you see in the Lara museum in Ronda

In the Casa Palacio palace in Ronda, the entire ground floor and basements are open to visitors. The upper floors contain private flats that are not part of the tour, unless, of course, you manage to secure a special invitation.

On the ground floor, just beyond the gate and ticket counter, there is a square courtyard from which the tour begins.

Antique weapons from the Lara museum in Ronda

Personally, I believe the most interesting room is the one with old, ornate weaponry. There are beautifully carved and decorated pistols here, resembling works of art. In addition to the usual weapons, you can see strange inventions that never entered serial production. An example is a pistol with seven barrels fired simultaneously, which could have caused quite a mess in a crowded tavern brawl.

I’ve also seen a bayonet attached to a pistol, although it might have been a pistol with a bayonet, depending on how you look at it. The display cases feature all kinds of pistols, from flintlocks through 19th-century cap lock pistols to custom-made American Colts ordered by one of the Spanish wealthy individuals.

The section with old weapons is very intriguing. It must be acknowledged that in the past, attention was paid not only to the effectiveness of causing death but also to ensuring that the weapons were aesthetically pleasing. The carvings on the wooden stocks and engraved decorations on metal parts are incredible and intricate. The value of such weaponry often exceeded the wealth of ordinary Spanish citizens.

Musical and scientific instruments and photography from the museum in Ronda

The next section features musical instruments, including old accordions and harmonicas. There are guitars and other string instruments, some dating back four hundred years. The collection also includes old gramophones and wind instruments.

The section with scientific instruments is fascinating. Old telescopes, microscopes, and various navigational tools look great and are thoroughly described, much like most exhibits in this museum.

I, personally, found the photography section intriguing. Dozens of cameras, from the oldest to quite contemporary ones, provide a detailed overview of the development of photography. In addition, photographs taken with most of these cameras are displayed alongside them. Very interesting.

Following that is a room telling the story of film and its development in Spain. A bit further, dolls, toys, and fans are displayed. Everyone associates Spanish ladies with their fans, perhaps from old movies. In the Lara museum, dozens of them are gathered, each adorned differently. Some feature motifs from legends and fairy tales, while others depict scenes from real events.

In addition to what I’ve already mentioned, there are cabinets with old telephones, which, like the weapons, were intricately decorated and look fantastic. There are also old clocks, typewriters, and interestingly, the first counting machines – mechanical calculators.

In summary, the ground floor of the museum is very fascinating and well-organized. In the corridors, vestibules, and other nooks, exhibits that don’t quite fit into specific thematic sections are displayed. Mannequins in costumes from bygone eras stand in the courtyard, along with carriages and horse-drawn vehicles.

Everything is beautiful, but this is just the beginning. The most exciting part awaits us in the basements of the Casa Palacio palace.

The Great Spanish Inquisition and the witchcraft department

Mr. Juan Antonio Lara Jurado had a particular interest in magic, ancient beliefs, and mysticism. The extensive collections in the vast basements are dedicated to this very theme.

Figures from local legends, which once terrified the devout people of Spain, are gathered here. Particularly intriguing is the statue of Satan, accompanied by an old book belonging to Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada, who, in his wisdom, described the Devil as:

“… This beast has many names, swearing to confound mankind. They call it the Lord of Destruction, the Morning Star of the Antichrist, the Devil, Demon, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, Fallen Angel, Belial, Leviathan, Great Dragon, King of the Babylonian ruler of Tyre, Tempter, Son of Perdition, Father of Lies, and the Most Wretched Deceiver …”

In one corner of a room, the interior of a witch’s hut is arranged, while in another, a fortune-telling salon is set up. Divination and sorcery were activities the church never favoured. To persecute those engaged in actions contrary to the church doctrine, a special organization was established: the Inquisition.

The Spanish Inquisition had slightly different priorities than the papal one, which also operated in Poland. The Spanish church was always more subject to the king than the pope, so it cared about what was good for the king. Remember that during that period, many Muslims, and Jews still lived in Spain. The role of the Spanish Inquisition was, among other things, to convert non-believers into devout Christians.

In the largest cellar beneath the museum, instruments and tools were gathered that helped inquisitors persuade unbelievers to believe.

There are devices there straight out of nightmares. There is a cage suspended over a fire, a barrel with nails inside where prisoners were pressed, a chair lined with sharpened spikes, and a stretching rack. The description on the last one states that a skilled interrogation master managed to stretch a person by 20 cm, and that person was still alive.

In one corner, a table is set with several monk figures. In the centre sat the inquisitor in a blood-red robe, holding the fate of the accused in his hands. Depending on his mood, he could sentence the defendant to severe torture or set him free.

People sentenced to torture confessed to everything. This has turned the records of the Inquisition into horror stories, treated as facts. We read about a woman who confessed to making love with Satan and his minions. Another swore that, with the power of the Devil, she flew over the village on a broomstick and cast spells – she claimed this just minutes after being seated on a heated iron.

Folk medicine in the museum in Lara in Ronda

Another section is dedicated to folk medicine. Jars with snakes, animal fetuses, or preserved animals submerged in them were entirely common in pharmacies of that time. Additionally, there are tools for early surgery and those that induce particular shivers – dental forceps that will linger in one’s memory.

The collection of hybrids, or cross-breeds of different animals, is fascinating. Monks in monasteries prepared wonders such as a snake with a bat’s head or an eagle with a cat’s legs. It was said that monsters were born from the sins of the local inhabitants. Thus, the brave monks carried their creations through villages, frightening peasants with creatures from hell.

There is even a torso of a woman sewn to the tail of some large fish, meant to look like a mermaid caught. I don’t know if anyone fell for it, but the smell must have been truly hellish.

Lastly, there are some objects and curiosities related to bullfighting and the production of excellent Andalusian wine.

And that’s it from the Lara Museum in Ronda. I recommend a visit to all museum enthusiasts. The exhibits and their information are presented in a neat and clear manner. It’s evident that the creators of the displays knew their craft, allowing us to enjoy them pleasantly.

Lara Museum in Ronda practical information and interesting facts

• Museum Lara; Casa Palacio Museo Lara is located at Arminan 29, 29400 Ronda.
• The ticket price is only a few euros.
• Casa Palacio Museo Lara was opened thanks to the private initiative of its promoter, Juan Antonio Lara Jurado. He dedicated his entire life to gathering all the memorabilia.
• The Lara Museum is the largest private collection in Spain.
• The museum is housed in the beautiful Casa Palacio de los Condes de las Conquistas.
• The museum can be visited virtually.
• During the summer, the museum is open from 11:00 to 20:00, and in winter, from 11:00 to 19:00.

Polish version