Welcome to La Ronda, the end of the route. Its official name is Juan de Dios Morales street, after the patriot killed in 1810, but nobody calls it that. It's narrow and curved because it follows the edge of an old ravine that was filled in as the city grew.

1Bohemians, pasillos and passwords

In the early 20th century La Ronda filled with painters, poets and musicians. Serenades and pasillos, Quito's melancholy song, rang out here. It is said that a secret bar, the Murcielagario, operated in a shop basement and could only be entered with a password.

Then came the decline: by the late 20th century the street had a reputation for danger. From 2006 the municipality restored it, and today it is once again a place for music, workshops and dinners. Thursday to Saturday nights are lively; when you leave, stick to busy streets or take a taxi.

2The winged Virgin

Look up: on the hill of El Panecillo stands the Virgin of Quito, an aluminium statue made of thousands of pieces, the work of the Spaniard Agustín de la Herrán Matorras and unveiled in the 1970s. It copies, on a giant scale, a small carving by Bernardo de Legarda from 1734: a winged Virgin holding a serpent in chains.

The hill was called Yavirac and, according to the Jesuit Juan de Velasco, had a temple to the Sun. Some read the serpent under the Virgin's feet as a victory over that ancient huaca, or sacred place.

3What to look for

  • The Virgin of El Panecillo, at the end of the street.
  • The plaques on the façades, recalling the street's illustrious residents.
  • A canelazo, the hot cinnamon and naranjilla drink served in its bars.
Street in central Quito with the Virgin of El Panecillo on the hill behind
The Virgin of Quito, on top of El Panecillo, watches over the south of the old town.

Documented

La Ronda is officially named after Juan de Dios Morales, was a bohemian quarter in the 20th century and has been restored since 2006; the Virgin of El Panecillo reproduces a carving by Bernardo de Legarda from 1734.

Oral tradition

The secret bar with a password and the Sun temple on Yavirac come from unverified accounts and chronicles; reading the serpent as a victory over the huaca is an interpretation.

Sources and credits

Instituto Metropolitano de Patrimonio de Quito (restoration of La Ronda); Juan de Velasco, «Historia del Reino de Quito» (1789); Quito Turismo (visitquito.ec), entries on La Ronda and El Panecillo.

Photos:

  • La Ronda, a narrow cobbled street with colourful houses and balconies: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Street in central Quito with the Virgin of El Panecillo on the hill behind: Martín Vasco, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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