Acinipo

Ronda, Spain

Acinipo was a city about 20 kilometers from Ronda, believed to have been founded by retired soldiers from the Roman legions more than 2,000 years ago. The remaining ruins include a Roman theater still in use today.

Some historians assert that Acinipo was created after the battle of Munda (45 BC), fought between the armies of Julius Caesar and the army of Pompey's two sons, Gnaeus and Sextus. To Caesar, Munda was supposed to be a mop-up action after Pompey's main forces were defeated in Greece. But Munda was no mop-up exercise. Tens of thousands of Romans were killed on both sides; there was no decisive victory for Caesar's armies; and one of Pompey's sons, Sextus, fled to fight another day as a famous rebel pirate against Caesar's successor, Augustus.

Some Spanish historians state that Munda is the Roman name for Ronda, where the battle of Munda may have been fought. According to Pliny, the battle of Munda was fought in Osuna, about 50 km north of Ronda in the province of Seville. But there is general agreement that Acinipo was created for retired veterans of Caesar's legions, while Arunda (Ronda) would be a separate Roman outpost, perhaps created before the Munda conflict for the veterans of Pompey's legions.

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Address

Acinipo, Ronda, Spain
See all sites in Ronda

Details

Founded: 45 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Martin Mazi (12 months ago)
Honestly, not much to see here. As a history enthusiast, I was kinda disappointed, especially considering the role this place played in antiquity. There are 4 major structures that you can see remains of: Iron age house, boathouse,, domus and theater. The theater is best preserved/reconstructed and is most worth seeing. Other than that it's just a hill with dried grass, stone piles and some fluffy sheep. ? Another plus is the free parking, no entrance fee, and the man at the entrance was very kind. I guess if you can organize a tour and a guide to explain this site, it could be interested. But if you are traveling on your own, it's not worth the detour.
Mike C (15 months ago)
It's free, but like others have said, it's only worth it if you are passing and like ancient ruins. I wouldn't make a detour to get there. The renovations using bleak modern concrete are obvious and definitely detract from the architecture. I know there's a case for making renovations obvious but still.... Check opening times. I don't see the point of having a guard (it's EEC funded so probably part of the bid), pleasant though he was. There's nothing to steal and the guard is so far away that he couldn't stop anyone damaging the site. It could do with more information, like: What was the point? What are the piles of stones that cover the site? Where did they get their water from? What did the site look like. I bet there's a local historian who knows or could make a good guess. Perhaps when the guard retires they could spend some money making it a bit more user friendly. Great views of the surrounding countryside from the top. Luckily it was cool today.
Chad Schallick (17 months ago)
Great spot to visit while on a road trip to Ronda! Check the times to make sure it is open. Great views at the top by the amphitheater.
Julian Dodson (19 months ago)
Unless you are seriously into archiology, your time is probably better spent in Ronda. Apart from the very dramatic theatre facade the rest of the site is just piles of rocks. But you can make use of the very nice toilet facilities while you're there.
Antonio Ballester (20 months ago)
Went there to kill some spare time. It turns out we enjoyed an amazing visit.
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