Church of Our Lady of Mercy Ronda — Attraction in Ronda

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A handsome building facing an open area, so you can get a good photo easily!

It has a story . . .

In it was kept a precious religious relic, the hand of Saint Teresa of Avila. A hand which, legend tells, stayed firm and in perfect condition several centuries after her death in 1582.

Impressed by this tale, the Generalissimo Francisco Franco, on winning the Civil War, had the hand removed from Ronda and taken to his home in the royal palace of El Pardo, and here it remained until his death in November 1975.

The Mayor of Ronda petitioned for the hand to be returned (why didn't the Mayor of Avila get in there faster?), and two months later it was ceremoniously reinstated in the church.

Right next door to the church is the Convento de Las Hermanas Clausuradas, a nunnery which bakes cakes and pastries for sale to the public.

As they are "cloistered" - hidden away from the world - you can buy from them but not see them. So they have a sort of revolving wooden tray, a bit like the ones you have in a railway station to put down your money, it gets turned around for the ticket seller to pick up your money, put down your ticket, and turn it round again for you. Except that in the station there is glass and you can see the seller. Here it's wood, and you cannot see the nun. You just say what you want from the cakes on display (they sometimes have hand-made baby clothes too), put down your money, it is whisked round and out come your...

Visited July 2024 and stayed for mass. Beautiful old basilica with a fascinating history housing the actual relic (the incorruptible left hand) of St. Teresa of Avila. The founder of the discalced Carmelite nuns. After the death of St. Teresa, her relic was housed here until General Francisco Franco a devout Catholic and ruler of Spain took it to his home as he believed the relic kept him safe throughout his rule. After his death in 1975 the relic was returned to the Basilica.

The nuns are great bakers and offer a variety of baked goods. The shortbread and lemon butter cookies were outstanding. On the side of the basilica is this little room with a wooden turnstile and a list of their offerings with prices on the wall. You ring the bell. They answer without being seen, you tell them what you want, then place the money on the turnstile, they return the change and the...

Fundada en el año 1551 pero hasta finales del siglo XVI no se pudo construir la iglesia que es lo que se conserva actualmente. El convento fue construido como evocación a la Virgen, más tarde fue usado como cuartel hasta 1846 que pasó a manos privadas. La iglesia corresponde a un estilo marienista-mudéjar Consta de tres naves, sólo la central está cubierta por bóveda de cañón con lunetos y fajones y la única utilizables hoy en día ya que las naves laterales están destinadas como celdas y habitáculos propios de la comunidad carmelita. Tras le reforma sufrida en el s. XVIII lo más destacado es una bóveda semiesférica sobre un tambor ventanillas cubriendo su crucero, el coro sobre un gran arco carpanel a los pies de la iglesia en esta reforma se perdió los elementos pertenecientes a la artesanía mudéjar.

La fachada compuesta por tres calles de mampostería divididas por pilastras de ladrillo. La portada es de piedra con arco de medio punto de rosca moldurada y jambas de casetones. La clave lleva motivos vegetales y en las enjutas decoración de punta de diamante. El arco está enmarcado por pilastras cajeadas con capiteles acanalados rematados por pirámides. A su lado derecho podemos observar la torre octogonal de ladrillo revocado que imita sillería de piedra. Destaca la importancia de la reliquia de la mano incorrupta de Santa Teresa de Jesús ubicada en el relicario de plata dorada y piedras preciosas del s,XVII que cuenta con numerosos devotos y curiosos. No debemos olvidar admirar la imagen de una dolorosa bajo la advocación de la Soledad del S. XIX y los lienzos sobre óleo del siglo XVII. El huerto se conserva en perfecto estado desde...