- The Endesa Foundation will undertake the artistic and sustainable lighting project for the Puente Nuevo over the Tajo de Ronda, endowing this city monument with a new tourist attraction.
- Furthermore, Endesa has granted the use of land belonging to the hydroelectric power plant that will form part of the walkway along the bottom of the gorge, with the aim of facilitating access to the second phase of the Tajo Gorge Path, which will open to the public in the first half of the year.
Endesa's headquarters today hosted the signing of two collaboration agreements with the Ronda City Council, sharing the objective of conserving and embellishing the cultural heritage of the town of Ronda and, more specifically, of the natural gorge that crosses it, known as the Tajo de Ronda. The mayor of this municipality, Mari Paz Fernández Lobato, accompanied by the councillor for Tourism, Ángel Martínez, met with María Malaxechevarría, General Director of the Endesa Foundation, and with Santiago Domínguez Rubira, Director of Hydroelectric Generation at Endesa, for the signing of these agreements.
The agreement signed with Endesa includes the granting of use and access to the grounds of the Ronda hydroelectric power plant, owned by the company, which are necessary to provide passage for the walkway along the bottom of the Tajo gorge that the City Council is constructing as part of the project known as the Camino del Desfiladero del Tajo (Tajo Gorge Path). Thanks to this agreement, the project can be completed and offer visitors a different route through the historic bridges that cross the Tajo de Ronda, including the world-famous Puente Nuevo. The first phase of this route has already opened to the public, allowing visitors to descend to the base of the Puente Nuevo. From there, the second phase will depart: the walkway along the bottom of the gorge, covering approximately 500 metres, with an exit in the Padre Jesús neighbourhood. The opening of this second phase is scheduled for the first half of the year.
In line with this support for local culture, the agreement signed today with the Endesa Foundation serves to promote the artistic and sustainable lighting project for this iconic Puente Nuevo, the structure that spans the Tajo de Ronda and has united the city since the second half of the 18th century. Thanks to this intervention, which will be carried out by the Endesa Foundation as part of a project co-financed by the City Council and the social entity, the bridge will feature new lighting with a sustainable approach, preserving its heritage value while highlighting its most iconic architectural elements.
The Endesa Foundation will carry out a comprehensive update of the lighting system using LED technology, significantly reducing both visual impact and energy consumption. This will result in a saving of 9.4 kW of power and will prevent the emission of 4.8 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.
The lighting, which has the support and co-financing of the Ronda City Council, will focus on the main structure of the bridge, its arches and architectural details, as well as the cliff face. Considered a Property of Cultural Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, the Puente Nuevo will gain even greater prominence following this intervention, attracting tourism interested in the historical and natural value of this area of the province of Málaga and boosting the local economy.
This monument, the city’s main emblem, was previously illuminated in 1995 and forms part of the set of actions carried out by the Endesa Foundation in Andalusia, a region in which it has undertaken 330 interventions on historical and cultural heritage to date. Specifically, in the province of Málaga, there have been 24 such actions, including the Alcazaba of Antequera, the Cathedral, the Basilica of La Victoria, the Caminito del Rey and the Picasso Museum in Málaga, the Church of the Convent of Santo Domingo in Ronda, and the Monastery of Jesús y María in Archidona.
About Endesa
Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an integrated business model spanning electricity generation, distribution, and supply. Furthermore, the company offers value-added services focused on the electrification of energy use for households, businesses, and public administrations. Endesa is committed to the United Nations’ SDGs and corporate social responsibility. In the latter area, it also operates through the Endesa Foundation. Our team comprises around 9,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel.
About the Endesa Foundation
The Endesa Foundation was established in 1998 as an expression of Endesa’s social commitment to address the needs of the communities in which it operates and thereby contribute to societal development.
On a daily basis, it strives to maximise its social impact through projects that promote high-quality education suited to current challenges, to ensure that the most vulnerable have a future filled with opportunities, foster the culture and art of our country, and to create a more sustainable world by caring for our surrounding environment.
More information on: www.fundacionendesa.org