Browsing a gift shop in the historic city of
Ronda, Spain, last summer, my then 13 year old son spotted something he found interesting on a picture postcard and asked, "This looks cool - can we go here?" Always eager to comply with input from the kids on our travels, we asked the shopkeeper where to find the pretty place in the photograph. Casa Don Bosco was just down the road, and only 1.50€ per person admission.
There are other town mansions in old Ronda, but we were awed by our visit to Don Bosco. The lavishly tiled backyard garden is spectacular, with unbeatable views of the mountainous valley and Puente Nuevo bridge.
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| View of the Puente Nuevo bridge from Casa Don Bosco. |
The gardens are split-leveled, with beautiful mosaics, benches, and fountains.
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| The interior of the house is luxuriously decorated. |
Don Juan Bosco never lived in nor even visited this home. It was built in the early 20th century and belonged to one of Ronda's wealthy titled families who then donated it to the Salesian Order, founded by the canonized Italian priest, St. Juan Bosco. The home was made a historic monument in 1931 and now serves as a retreat for priests as well as a little-known, but very lovely, tourist attraction.
Don Juan Bosco never lived in nor even visited this home. It was built in the early 20th century and belonged to one of Ronda's wealthy titled families who then donated it to the Salesian Order, founded by the canonized Italian priest, St. Juan Bosco. The home was made a historic monument in 1931 and now serves as a retreat for priests as well as a little-known, but very lovely, tourist attraction.
