Plaza del Socorro (Socorro Square), Ronda

Socorro Square (Plaza del Socorro) is a popular place in Ronda. It has more than a few cafes and restaurants around its edges. There is a fountain and under the square is an underground car park.

The Church of Help (Iglesia del Socorro) is located on the square. The church is relatively new, the original church being destroyed by fire in 1936. The original church was consecrated in November 1557 by the bishop of Malaga, Don Francisco de Pacheco de Cordoba.

The square is regarded as the political center of Ronda. It was here, in 1918, that Blas Infante, writer, historian, and musicologist, raised the flag of Andalusian nationalism. Infante was also the leader of the Junta Liberalista, a federalist political party of the Second Spanish Republic.

Assassinated by dictator Franco's forces in the Spanish civil war, Infante's last words were, "Long live free Andalucia." Infante unfurled his flag from the balcony of the Artists Society building (Circulo de Artistas) on the north side of the square.

In front of the Church of Help is a statue of Hercules taming two lions. The lions represent the "Pillars of Hercules" at the Strait of Gibraltar. Hercules was the patron of Cadiz, the ancient city of Andalucia.