Bull fighting in Spain |
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24/05/2008 Saturday 19:00h. Plaza de Toros de Granada Bull Fighting in Spain Plaza de Toros de Granada Granada SABADO 24 DE MAYO CORRIDA DE TOROS TOROS DE ´EL TORERO´ MANUEL DIAZ ´EL CORDOBES´ ´RIVERA ORDOÑEZ´ DAVID FANDILA ´EL FANDI´ 24/05/2008 Saturday 19:00h. Plaza de Toros de las Ventas Bull Fighting in Spain Plaza de Toros de las Ventas Madrid SABADO 24 DE MAYO CORRIDA DE REJONES TOROS DE FLORES TASSARA ALVARO MONTES LEONARDO HERNANDEZ JOAO MOURA (HIJO) MOURA CAETANO 24/05/2008 Saturday 19:30h. Plaza de Toros de Córdoba Bull Fighting in Spain Plaza de Toros de Córdoba Córdoba SABADO 24 DE MAYO NOVILLADA CON PICADORES NOVILLOS DE ´HATO-BLANCO´ ISRAEL DE CORDOBA IGNACIO GONZALEZ ´MAZZANTINI´ 22/05/2008 Thursday 19:00h. Plaza de Toros de Granada [Toros] Plaza de Toros de Granada Granada JUEVES 22 DE MAYO CORRIDA DE TOROS TOROS DE SANTIAGO DOMECQ Y ANA Mª BOHORQUEZ DAVID FANDILA ´EL FANDI´ SEBASTIAN CASTELLA Asiento Reservado: from 120,00 to 20,00 Euros 22/05/2008 Thursday 19:00h. Plaza de Toros de las Ventas [Toros] Plaza de Toros de las Ventas Madrid JUEVES 22 DE MAYO CORRIDA DE TOROS TOROS DE SALVADOR DOMECQ IVAN VICENTE CESAR JIMENEZ EDUARDO GALLO Bullfighting in Madrid Bullfighting is as ubiquitous in Madrid as cricket is in the Indian sub-continent, and bullfighters are given the same celebrity status as sport stars. Your trip to Madrid would not be complete, if you are not intending to witness a spine-tingling bullfight. Plaza Monumental de Toros de las Ventas, often referred to as the Mecca to bullfighting, draws some of the finest matadors in Spain. It is believed that a matador who hasn't proven his bullfighting skills in Las Ventas is not considered to be a top-fight artist. Bullfighting season in Madrid is between March and October. During this period, bullfights are organized every Sunday at 7 PM at Las Ventas, but during the Feria de San Isidro and the Feria de Otoo, there are bullfights everyday. Talent scouts mingle with the spectators on these two occasions, and matadors who distinguish themselves in the ring are signed up for Majorca, M�laga, and other places. Bullfighting is all about testing the strength of matador and bull. The chief matadors also called toreros, are the ones who actually kill the bull, and they are dressed in gold, while their subordinates wear either a silver or black dress. A typical corrida (bullfight) is divided into 6 fifteen minutes sections called faenas, which are further segregated into three sections. In the first section, the matador and his assistants use large magenta and yellow capes to test the bull's (toro) strength. Picadors on horsebacks pierce the bull in the back of the neck to weaken it as well as compel it to drop it's head to the level of the matador's capes. In the second section, the banderilleros stab the banderillas into the back of the oncoming bull. The banderillas are long, brightly colored barbed sticks that remain in the bull's back for some time and aggravate it. In the final section, the matador faces the bull alone and displays his bravery and skills through a series of elegant manoeuvres. His ultimate aim is to kill the bull and to achieve his goal he exchanges the long straight sword he has been using to position his cape for a smaller one with a curved end. To execute the kill, the matador tries to mimic the angle formed by the head of a charging bull with his cape. As the bull reiterates, it's vital area between the shoulder blades is exposed and the matador simply inserts his sword to reach the bull's heart. A skilled matador, executes the bull in one go, but generally several attempts are required to subdue the bull. Tickets for the bullfight can be purchased from Las Ventas itself. Alternatively, you can contact one of Madrid's best ticket agents, Localidades Galicia for bullfight tickets. The prices of tickets vary depending upon the day and where you plan to sit. Sombra are the best seats, as they are available in shades. The cheapest seats are filas, but they are always in the sun and provide the worst view. Barreras are the front row seats and Delanteras are third row seats. Delanteras are available in both the alta (high) and the baja (low) sections. The bullring isn't too big but, if you plan to see the action without paying a lot for your seats, binoculars are probably a good idea. Festival of San Isidro Madrid May 8-15 The festival of San Isidro, Saint Isidore, one of Madrid's patron saints, takes place during the month of May. The San Isidro festival is the most important bullfighting festival in the world, but offers other celebrations as well that include fairs, concerts, dances and the romeria, a kind of pilgrimage, to the ermita de San Isidro. The ermita de San Isidro is an early eighteenth-century chapel, where, out of tradition or belief, the faithful partake of the miraculous water looking for health or purification. San Isidro offers a great chance to see Madrid during one of its main festivals, as locals take to the streets with communal singsongs, street vendors selling the traditional wafers, or barquillos known as pan de angel (angel's bread), late night eating of churros dipped in chocolate, and music playing everywhere. The Madrileños have taken the somewhat saintly story of San Isidro and turned it into giant fiesta. Legend has it that the saint was an impoverished farm worker who, along with his wife Santa Maria de la Cabeza, became famous for giving food to the poor. On another occasion during a drought he broke the earth with a scythe which brought forth a spring of water which gave sufficient water to supply all of Madrid. The pious couple, who first made their appearance in the Middle Ages, also became associated with various miraculous works which led to their joint beatification. These days San Isidro stands for fun, with the official festival - which dates from 1947 -running from about May 8-15, but with events often spilling over for much longer. Tickets for the bullfights-http://www.las-ventas.com/ The best time to see bullfights in Madrid is during the months of May and June. The world famous San Isidro bullfight festival takes place during these months and brings together the best fighters, bulls and aficionados. There are fights every day for 20 days, starting at 7 o'clock in the evening. The festival includes a variety of different fights, with novillos (young bulls), rejones (bullfights on horseback) and Goyesca fights (in period costume) During the festival it's possible to see the bulls close-up in their pre-fight corral at La Venta de Batán, near Batán metro station. The rest of the bullfighting season The bullfight season runs from March to October. Outside San Isidro, fights are normally held every Sunday, starting at 7 o'clock in the evening. Some of the fights will be novilladas (fights with young bulls and less experienced fighters). Bullfight Notes: A corrida or bullfight normally lasts around 2 hours, but there is no fixed time limit and depends on how many bulls are sent back to the corral or any other incidents during the fight itself. A normal fight brings together 3 matadores (the ones who actually kill the bull) with their respective troupes and 6 bulls, 2 for each fighter. The matadores fight in turn, the most experienced fighter first, unless a new fighter is being presented for the first time in Madrid, in which case the most experienced fighter will cede his turn to the new fighter. This is called dar la alternativa. The matadores can be distinguished from the rest of the troupe since they will be the only ones whose traje de luces (suit of lights) are braided in gold. Each matador directs a 15 minute session, called a faena, which in turn is divided into 3 sections. The first section involves the matador receiving his bull with a large cape. Here he is able to make his first judgements regarding the bull's strength, courage and general validity for the fight. The second section, la suerte de varas, involves picadores and banderilleros. Picadores, on horseback, use long lances to weaken the bull's neck muscles. The bull's courage can be discovered by his willingness to approach the horse and lance. Secondly, the banderilleros stab brightly-coloured barbed sticks or banderillas into the bull's back. The matador receives the bull alone in the third and final section of the faena, perhaps the most interesting for aficionados. Holding a small red cape now, he attempts to pass the bull as close to his body as possible in an artistic and varied manner. After effecting these passes, he will take a real, sharpened sword to attempt to kill the bull by bringing it on to him with its head lowered so he can thrust the sword between the bull's shoulder blades. The fight is then judged by the public. They may whistle and boo, remain silent, clap or award the matador one or both of the bull's ears by waving a white handkerchief until the fight president awards this coveted prize. If a fighter receive two ears in the same afternoon, he is lifted up on to somebody's shoulders and transported out of the ring and through the main gate. He has thus opened the Puerta Grande, the maximum accolade for any fighter. The public may also judge the bull to have been so brave and noble, that it should have its life spared (indultado). This happens only very rarely. Bullfighting Origins and History of Bullfight Bullfighting is certainly one of the best known, although at the same time most polemical Spanish popular customs. This Fiesta could not exist without the Toro Bravo, a species of bull of an archaical race that is only conserved in Spain. Formerly this bull's forebears, the primitive urus, were spread out over wide parts of the world. Many civilizations revered to them, the bull-cultus at the Greek island Creta is quite well-known. The Bible reports on sacrifices of bulls in honour to the divine justice. Also in the religious ceremonies of Iberian tribes living in Spain in prehistorical times bulls played an important part. The origins of the Plaza, bullring, probably are not the Roman amphitheaters but the Celt-Iberian temples where those ceremonies were held. In the province of Soria, close to Numancia, one of them is conserved and it is supposed that there bulls were sacrificed to the Gods. While the religious cultus to the bull goes back to Iberians, it were the Greek and Roman influences that converted it into a spectacle. During the middle-ages it was a diversion for the aristocracy to torear on horse's back. That was called suerte de cañas. In 18th century this tradition was more or less abandoned and the poorer population invented the bullfight by foot. Francisco Romero was a key-figure in laying the rules for that new sport. For its fans La Corrida is of course rather an art than a sport, not to speak about the challenge of the man fighting against the beast. It is an archaic tradition that has survived in this country, just as the Toro Bravo has done. What a Corrida is about If you are not familiar to Corridas, you will find here listed chronologically everything that happens. So you may decide by yourself if you want to see one when you are visiting Spain. A Corrida starts with the paseillo, with everybody involved in the bullfight entering the ring and presenting himself to the public. Two Alguacilillos, on horse's back, direct themselves to the presidency and symbolically ask for the keys to the "puerta de los toriles". Behind that door there are the bulls. With the door being opened and the first bull entering the ring the spectacle starts. It consists of three parts, called tercios, being separated by horn-signals. There are three toreros in each Corrida, by the way, and each will have to torear two bulls. In the first tercio the bullfighter uses the capote, a quite large rag of purple and yellow color. Now enter two picadores, on horse's back and armed with a sort of lance. The second part is la suerte de banderillas. Three banderilleros have to stick a pair of banderillas into the attacking bull's back. In the final "suerte suprema" the bullfighter uses the muleta, a small red rag. He has to show his faena, his masterity to dominate the bull, and to establish an artistical symbiosis between man and beast. The Corrida ends with the torero killing the bull by his sword. BULLS TORREVIEJA 25th February (about the same date every year) BULLS great bullfight of bulls PROGRAMMING TOURIST INFO TORREVIEJA - CENTER Street Horsemen of Stems, 27 03180 TORREVIEJA - CENTER Telephone: 965706159/Fax: 966703357 torreviejacentro@touristinfo.net Ciudad de Rodrigo http://www.ciudadrodrigo.net /carnavaldeltoro /carnafull.htm Carnival del Torro February The Carnival of the Toro can be considered oldest in Spain, it has been documented since of the time of Kings Católicos. Rodrigo is the most important celebration of City, it attracts thousand of visitors from around the world during the busiest week of the year in Miróbriga. 
FERIA
TAURINA MAGDALENA CASTELLÓ DE LA PLANA/CASTELLÓN (From 11th March to 19th March ) About the same dates every year FERIA TAURINA MAGDALENA 2007 PROGRAMMING http://www.tauroentrada.com Más información: www.plazadetorosdecastellon.com /carteles.html TOURIST INFO CASTELLÓN Plaza María Agustina,5, bajos 12003 CASTELLÓN Teléfono:964358688 / Fax:964358689 castellon@touristinfo.net 
Bull
Fighting Spain
Seville
http://www.realmaestranza.com/
Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, s/nSeville 41001 Spain +1 34 95 422 4537 Open Hours 9:30a-2p, 3p-6p, 10a-3p days of bullfights 
Its full name is the Real Maestranza de
Caballería (Royal Equestrian Society of Noblemen), one of the most
important bullrings in the world. Bullfighting critics claim a matador has
not really made the grade until he has triumphed here. All the great
bullfighters like Belmonte, Manolete, Paquirri, Curro Romero and Espartaco
have delighted crowds attending special events during the April Feria and
on Easter Sunday. Museum: 400 ptas (EUR 2.40)
La Real Maestranza of Seville is the
oldest in the history of bullfighting. It took more that a century to
build. Construction began in 1761, on the remains of a former bullring (a
square plaza made of wood). It was finished in 1881, by Juan Talavera de
la Vega, but before that many architects had put their work in it. Aníbal
González completed the annexe house to the bullring, which is now the
central office of the society of the Maestranza in 1928. The bullring is
oval, which is not normal, most bullrings are round. If you want to know
more about the bullring you can visit on a tour. A guide will tell you
about the bullring, the 4 gates, and then take you to the hospitalroom and
the museum. The museum has 4 rooms each representing another time. It is a
short visit (around 20 minutes in total) and you should not expect very
much. Open: 9:30-14:00 and 15:00 - 19.00.
Bullrings of Seville
CORRIDAS DE TOROS CON
MOTIVO DE LAS FIESTAS DE
SAN JORGEALCOI/ALCOY (From 25th March 2007 to 1st April 2007) CORRIDAS DE TOROS CON MOTIVO DE LAS FIESTAS DE SAN JORGE PROGRAMMING Domingo 25 de Marzo 17:00h Corrida de Toros a cargo de: - Juan José Padilla - Victor Puerto - Fernández Pineda Sábado 31 de Marzo 00.05h - 3.30h Vaquillas 11.00h - 14.30h Vaquillas 17.00h - 19.30h Vaquillas 22.00h - 22.30h Vaquillas Domingo 1 de Abril 17.00h Corrida de Rejones - Iván Magro - Joao Moura - Antonio Canolorcio TOURIST INFO ALCOY Calle Sant Llorenç,2 03801 ALCOY Teléfono:965537155 / Fax:965537153 alcoi@touristinfo.net Toros en Huéscar Bulls Region: El Altiplano: regions of Baza and Huéscar City: Huéscar Place: Huéscar Month: 03-03-2007 - 03-03-2007 Toreros: El Fandi, Finito de Córdoba, Rivera ordóñez, Curro Díaz y Manzanares Festival in honour of saint brigida. 8th April Municipality: Galaroza Province: Huelva Telephone: 959123196 Url: http://www.ayuntamientohuelva.es Festival in honour of Saint Brigida. On Easter Sunday the village celebrates the "day of the egg and bun". The tradition demands that the local people go in procession to the Hermitage of Santa Brigida. In the area around the Hermitage the traditional bread with egg is eaten and bars are set up to serve drinks. Festival of the "Embolao" bull 8th April Municipality: Vejer de la Frontera Province: Cádiz Telephone: 956730011 Url: http://www.cadizturismo.com Festival of the "Embolao" bull or the bull with balls on its horns. On Easter Sunday. Including an open air Dance. Festival. hallelujah bull festival. 8th April 2007 Municipality: Arcos de la Frontera Province: Cádiz Telephone: 956700002Url: http://www.cadizturismo.com Hallelujar bull Festival. Easter Sunday. Festival. albillo monday. 16th April 2007 Municipality: Cumbres Mayores Province: Huelva Telephone: 959710455 Url: http://www.ayuntamientohuelva.es Festival. Albillo Monday. If you come to Cumbres Mayores, set in the foothills of the Sierra Morena, you will see the two groups of dancing children, those from the guild of Our Lady of Hope and those from the Holy Sacrament guild. The first Dance on Albillo Monday before the Virgin Mary, a Festival that includes bullfights with young bulls and bull runs in the bullring under the Sancho 4th castle.
Bullfighting
Municipality Municipality: MálagaProvince: MálagaAddress: Sq. de la Malagueta, s/n° Postal Code: 29012Telephone: 952222557, 95229568Url: http://www.plazalamalagueta.com Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@plazadetorosde lamaestranza.comUrl: http://www.plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Enrique Ponce, Manuel Jesús El Cid y Sebastián Castella. Novillos de Torrehandilla Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Url: http://www.plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Daniel Luque, Agustín de Espartinas y Oliva Soto. Toros de José Luis Pereda-La Dehesilla Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Url: http://www.plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Uceda Leal, Antonio Ferrera y Antonio Barrera. Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Url: http://www.plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Fermín Bohórquez, Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza y Diego Ventura. BullfightingToros de Hijos de D. Celestino Cuadri Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Url: http://www.plazadetorosde lamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Fernández Pineda, Serafín Marín y Manuel Escribano. Toros de D. José Cebada Gago Municipality: Sevilla Province: Sevilla Address: Paseo Cristobal Colón, 12 Postal Code: 41001 Telephone: 902223506, 954501382 Fax: 954501559 E-mail: taquilla@ plazadetorosdelamaestranza.com Url: http://www.plazadetoros delamaestranza.com Bullfighters: Curro Díaz, Fernando Robleño y Fernando Cruz. The Festival of San Juan or Madre de Dios Thursday to Friday after the 23 of June With the arrival of the day of San Juan the whole city of Soria is transformed into a real hullabaloo, in which tourists and visitors take part as much as the the Sorians. The festival has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León, and dates back to the 12th century. The city is divided into twelve areas that represent the twelve districts, and each has a jurado, in charge of making the festival arrangements. Each day has its assigned activities and even its own name. One of the most impressive days is Jueves de Saca, when young bulls are brought to the capital from Monte Valonsadero, herded by people on foot and on horseback. Mid morning, the herd is collected from Cañadahonda and taken to Vega de San Millán, the traditional event before the fighting starts in the bullring. Friday is Día de Toros, the day of the bulls. There are six bullfights in the morning and six n the afternoon. The giving out of the bull meat after the fights, for which the townspeople buy vouchers, and the auction for the prime cuts are the events of Saturday, Sábado Agés, when bull herding and bull-runs are also part of the festivities. The celebrations are under the charge of each district, in their respective festival organisation. Each person receives their cut of meat, prepared by the young men of the town, and complimented by other local produce including wine, spirits and cakes. But without a doubt the main day of the San Juan festival is Domingo de Calderas. First thing in the morning all the inhabitants assemble in the Plaza Mayor to form the procession of Calderas, which leaves for la Alameda de Cervantes at about mid morning. One by one the city areas join the procession, many dressed in typical Sorian costume, behind the caldera, a huge copper pot which carries the bull meat stew, with roast chicken, chorizo and hard boiled eggs. Once they reach the Alameda, everybody, including the visitors to the town, is invited to a feast of stew, washed down with wine. The feast is called the Banquete Franco. Monday brings the end to the festivities with another parade, in which each section of the city bears its personal saint. After mass is held in the Ermita de la Soledad, each statue is returned to its temple. The last procession, in the afternoon, follows the road the leads to San Polo, and open-air celebrations round the festival off until the next year's San Juan in Soria. Province: Soria Town: SORIA |
CASTELLON FAIR TAURINE
MAGDALENA 2008
Held Bullring Castellon 24 February to 3rd March 2008 
Bullfighting
CALPE/CALP
Religious. July 16th Festival of the Virgin del Carmen (the patron saint of sailors) - a festival at sea - with a procession, open-air celebrations, fireworks, street bands and Fiesta de Gracia (bullfights with young bulls). CALPE/CALP Religious. August 5th Festival of Our Lady, the Madonna of the Snows, with processions, open-air celebrations, fireworks, street bands and Fiesta de Gracia (bullfights with young bulls). CASTALLA Local. August Description Fiestas of St Roch, with Fiesta de Gracia bullfights with young bulls), take place during the middle of month. SENIJA Local. October Fiesta de Gracia (bullfights with young bulls) take place during the second week of the month. San Fermín Pamplona - Fiestas and Folklore The festival of San Fermin is by far the best known event taking place in Pamplona. TV-spectators in all the world are surprised, impressed or shocked each year when they watch the spectacle of bulls running through the streets of the town and hundreds of young men, usually dressed in traditional white shirts and red belts, ahead of them. Taking this challenge frequently ends in blood and tears. Hemingway was deeply impressed by Pamplona's Sanfermines, as by the tradition of bullfighting in general, and reports on it in several of his books. The way through the town leads to the bullring, where in the evening of the same day are celebrated some of the most important bullfights of all the season, with the very best toreros. The spectacle as described above takes place on the first day of the festival, on July, 7th. During the following week all Pamplona is the scenery of an enormous party, with dancing and singing and drinking - it is certainly the most exciting week of all the year. Although the Sanfermines of Pamplona are the best known event of that kind, there are similar festivals in several of the villages around: in Tudela from July, 24th to 28th, in Estella from the first Saturday in August, in Tafalla from August, 15th to 20th, and in Sanguesa from September, 11th to 17th. Another very interesting tradition in the province is the "Ceremonia del Tributo de las tres Vacas", in Roncal valley, on July, 13th. A contract from 1375 obligates the inhabitants of the french Baretous valley to pay an annual tribute in form of three cows to the people of Piedra San Martín. The ceremony is executed by the town-mayors, in medieval gowns. On May, 25th takes place a festival of traditional regional dances, called Baile de la Era, in Estella. On June, 24th, pilgrims of all the region come together in a cave close to the Hermitage of San Juan de Xar, in Yanci, to wash themselves in the water of its three springs. Illnesses are said to be cured by that in a miraculous way. Bull Fights in Spain THE CORRIDA The corrida, or bullfight (what is a bullfight?) during San Fermín is very different to bullfights in any other big bullring in Spain or anywhere else. For the simple reason that it is something more than just a bullfight. The fights of the Feria del Toro are organised by the "Casa de Misericordia" or "Meca" (Old-Folks Home) and the profits go towards the upkeep of this charitable institution. This philanthropic end makes it somewhat easier to pay the expensive prices. This is an essential part of the San Fermín festival (apart from the bull-fights during the Sanfermines there are no other bull-fights during the rest of the year, although there are no lack of aficionados, particularly among those people who frequent the Club Taurino). In short, the bullfight during San Fermín is a continuation of the pandemonium which is going on in the street during these festival days. It is just another platform for getting on with the basic function of the "fiesta", which is to have a hell of a good time and to eat and drink over the top and generally to do your own thing any old way you want. For many people, the start of the bullfights is the start of the day. (The bullfights start at 6.30 in the afternoon!) The festival of San Fermín is a deeply-rooted celebration held annually from 6 July to 14 July in the city of Pamplona (Navarre), in northern Spain. While its most famous event is the encierro, the running of the bulls, the week-long celebration involves many other traditional and folkloric events. It is known locally as Sanfermines and is held in honor of Saint Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona and Navarre as a whole. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway. It has become probably the most internationally renowned fiesta in Spain. The Encierro involves running in front of bulls down an 825-metre (0.51 mile) stretch of cobbled streets of a section of the old town of Pamplona. The biggest day is 7 July, when thousands of people accompany the effigy of Saint Fermin along the streets of Pamplona, along with dancers and street entertainers, such as carnival giants. During the days, the town has a carnival with rides and ferris wheels, as well as an abundance of sangria sold by bars and restaurants. At night, the town erupts into an enormous party. The Comparsa de Gigantes (Company of Giants) parade the streets— enormous puppets accompanied by brass bands. The streets are filled with drunken revellers, and the thousands of tourists find themselves asleep in parks.. The city hall is offered by the town as a storage facility for backpackers' gear. After nine days of partying, the people of Pamplona meet in the Plaza Consistorial at midnight on 14 July, singing the traditional mournful notes of the "Pobre de Mí" ('Poor Me'), in a magical, candlelit ending. Nowadays on the 15th of the month, after the fiesta is over, some diehards assemble once more at 7 a.m. and run one last time— against the local bus, whose service along the route of the course starts again on this morning. San Fermín, Pamplona The festival in honour of San Fermín celebrated in Pamplona -los Sanfermines- is a mixture of the official and the popular, the religious and the profane, for local people and outsiders, the old and the new, order and chaos. And all of this packed into one long week starting with a bang at midday on the sixth of July and ending with the nostalgia tinged with expectation at midnight on the fourteenth. The San Fermines have always been a special festival but when Pamplona was still a small unknown city -provincial and clerical- the San Fermines found their most fervent supporter in the American writer Hemingway. The Sanfermines offer the visitor an open and hospitable festival where anything out of the ordinary is welcomed and soon becomes part of the tradition, so long as ¡t shows the respect due to others. The Sanfermines is a fiesta where no one is an outsider, everyone is equal and in which the festive spirit is never broken, centred around the people of Pamplona in the widest sense: all the people in the city during the always too short 204 hours of revelry, dancing, prayers and bacchanalian extravagance. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Sanfermines is a festival of religious origins and that this aspect is still relived in huge demonstrations such as the Procession on the morning of the seventh. But the religious celebration is in perfect harmony with the cult of the bull -a symbolic animal- and with the cult of Bacchus, the god of wine -a drink which ¡s no less symbolic. The Sanfermines are, in short, a total, absolute and radical festival in which the people of Pamplona play the leading part, but in which outsiders feel immediately at home -there's no question of being a mere onlooker- as for nine days Pamplona becomes the world capital of happiness. website http://www.sanfermin.com http://www.turismo.navarra.es /eng/ propuestas/san-fermines/ Toros Bull Fighting in Spain The first historic bullfight or "corrida" took place in Vera, Logroño in 1133 in honor of the coronation of King Alfons VIII. It became a respite between the battles, and later on and outlet where the noblemen, knights and squires could demonstrate their courage and zeal. A Bullfight has its protocol, which is observed religiously, and it begins with the "paseillo". This is when the bullfighters parade through the center of the arena towards the presiding balcony escorted by the "alguacilillos" on horse to salute. The bullfighters then go to their respective places around the arena and the game is on! Each bull is let into the plaza, for what is called the first third. The bullfighters carry on a touch-and-go kind of game in which the protagonist studies the animal's strength, temperament, and quickness through the reactions to the movements of the "capote" (the red cape they carry). The sound of the clarinet announces the "Tercio de Varas", which is when the bullfighters and riders come out with their picks and lances. This is done draw out the bull's tremendous strength to tire it. At this time the protagonist joins his assistant in the arena. At last, the time has come for the "muleta", which is the sword for which bullfighting is most known. This is the time when the protagonist and the bull are alone, while the assistants watch ready to come out in case of an accident. This is called the "faena", and it is when the "Ole!" (s) are most common. After several passes, the bull fighter will squarely face the bull for the "estoque", or the final touch to the death. the bullfighter takes too much time at this, he receives a warning from the presiding balcony, However, if the bullfighter "cuaja", or finishes the fight cleanly, he receives the applause of the audience, and may be awarded the ears and the tail of the bull. May be even carried around the plaza. A little gory? Some people say so. Not all of the Spaniards are into this, in fact some are very much against it. There are as many opinions about bull fighting as there are Spaniards. Nevertheless, the bull does not go to waste. Its meat will be sold in the local markets later on, just like any other steak. One thing for certain, bullfighting is a dance with death. A mistake on the part of the bullfighter, a misread movement, could mean his death. The bull, by its nature, attacks anything that moves. The bullfighter must then be at wit's end and maintain his poise and dexterity as he directs the bull's attacks as close to his body as he dares. In theory, the artistic event is simple, the difficulty lies in the carry through. The bullfighter must measure each step to control and master the fight. Bullfighting What you'll see A corrida (the bullfight) consists of 6 fifteen minute sections known as faenas. In each faena a bull (toro) is faced by one of three matadors (though on special occasions there may only be one matador present). Matadors (or toreros), the ones who actually kill the bull, are dressed in gold, while their subordinates are in silver or black dress. Each faena is divided into three sections. In the first section, the bull's strength is tested by the matador and his assistants, who at this point are using large magenta and yellow capes. The bull is then weakened by picadors on horseback who lance the bull in the back of the neck. In addition to weakening the bull, this forces it to drop its head to the level of the bullfighters' capes. During the second section, the banderilleros stab long brightly-coloured barbed sticks, the banderillas, into the back of the oncoming bull. The banderilleras are designed to remain in the bull's back for the duration of the bullfight, and are meant to aggravate it. In the final section, the matador faces the bull alone. Now using a small red cape, he carries out a series of elegant manoeuvres designed to demonstrate his bravery and skill. When he is ready to kill the bull, he exchanges the long straight sword he has been using to position his cape for a smaller one with a curved end. To carry out the kill, the matador holds his cape in such a way as to mimic the angle formed by the head of a charging bull. As the bull charges in response, it exposes the vital area between the shoulder blades where the matador must insert his sword to reach the bull's heart. In a good bullfight, this is successfully accomplished in the first attempt, but usually several attempts are required to subdue the bull. Where and when Bullfights in Madrid take place in the Las Ventas bullring, often referred to as the Mecca of bullfighting. The season in Madrid is from March to October, with bullfights at Las Ventas every Sunday at 7:00 PM. During the Feria de San Isidro, (from about mid-May to mid-June) and the Feria de Otoo (which begins toward the end of September) there are bullfights everyday, often with well known bullfighters. Tickets can be purchased at Las Ventas itself, with tickets going on sale two days before the bullfight. Tickets can also be bought at a small outlet (indicated as such in english) on calle Victoria (Metro: Sol, Zone: sol, Map: H-11, ). Ticket prices vary greatly depending on the day, and where you sit, from below 6 euro to over 60 euro. Sombra (shade) is more expensive than sol (sun). A third option, "sol y sombra" is priced in between. The bullring isn't too big but, if you plan to see the action without paying a lot for your seats, binoculars are probably a good idea. Festivities Murcia Blanca Encierro Declarada de Interés Turístico Regional Running of the bulls in the town's streets in honour of San Roque. Declared of Regional Tourist Interest Dates to be held: 11th of august of 2007. Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the Bull-Runs. The last Sunday of August The location for one of the oldest bull-run festivals in all of Spain is the city of Cuéllar in the province of Segovia. The deep-rooted tradition and popularity of the festival have earned it the recognition of being declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León. The celebrations of the bull-runs of Nuestra Señora del Rosario are held during the festival of the patron saint, but the most popular day is the last Sunday of August, when five bull-runs take place in the streets of the city. At 7.50 in the morning people are already waiting excitedly for the releasing of the bulls. The first stretch runs form the area of the bullpens to the edge of the pinewoods, from where the horsemen will then drive the bulls to the bullring. This run takes about an hour and a half. After crossing the pine grove, the horsemen walk the bulls to a resting place, where both the bulls and the men can take a pause. Now comes the most complicated stretch, the bottleneck, where the mountains finish and the road begins. By this time it is about 9.30, and the urban circuit begins. The bulls are driven through the streets of Cuéllar until they arrive at Los Paseos, where the bullring is located. The run can take up to an hour and a half. While the men are herding the bulls around the countryside, the people of the town wait impatiently for them to enter the city. To pass the time, they dance the traditional dance of the wheel, and sing a song called "A por ellos!" (After them!) that is known as the hymn of the town, and has a great sentiment attached to it. Even more so, if possible, at the end of the festivities on Saturday at 7.00 in the afternoon, when the final announcements are given to an overflowing Plaza Mayor, and the town ends the festival by bursting into song when the announcer shouts "after them!". This is when the partying really begins. Province: Segovia Town: CUELLAR The Bull Carnival Carnival Carnaval del Toro The stars of this festival are without a doubt the bulls. The acts of penning, bullfights and bull-runs have a great following and many people are eager to participate. During the intervals in the celebrations it is the job of the festival groups to entertain everyone with bands and their costumes. The Bull Carnival is held in Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca) and has been declared of national touristic interest. The name reflects the large role of the bull in the festivities. The festival officially starts on the Viernes de Carnaval, the Friday before Lent, with the penning of bulls and oxen. Afterwards the announcements of the carnival, in which the chief announcer, along with the queen and the ladies of the festival will greet Don Carnal. The lights, colours and music entertain the participants until around midnight, when the young people of the village take over the part of the bullring that they will occupy for the bull fighting. Encierro del Carnaval del Toro On Saturday morning the penning and releasing of the animals, and the bull fighting, which go on throughout the four days of the carnival. But one of the most impressive moments of the festival is the penning of the bulls on horseback, on Sunday morning. The glamour of the animals running through the fields perused by a group of horsemen who drive them into the town square is a great spectacle. The aguardiente bull-run is the act that concludes the festivities on Tuesday. So called because before the bull is released the participants are served aguardiente, a strong spirit, and the local sweet, peronillas. Province: Salamanca Town: CIUDAD-RODRIGO The Festival of el Noveno Fechas Held the second weekend in may (11th may) Celebración Horse penning and traditional bull events. In commemoration of the freeing from taxes of the duke and duchess of alba. Observaciones Events of celebrations: Friday: Bullfights (about five in the afternoon) Saturday: Horse-penning (about nine in the morning) Bullfights in the afternoon Sunday: Horse-penning (about eleven in the morning) Bull festival (about five in the afternoon) Night-time fair in the Plaza Mayor. Localidad: SAN FELICES DE LOS GALLEGOS CP: 37270 The Festival of Fiestas Nuestra Señora y San Roque From the 14 to the 18 of August The Festival of Nuestra Señora and San Roque, held in Peñafiel, a village in the province of Valladolid, is famous for its bull-fights and its traditional procession, the Chúndara. The festival attracts hundreds of tourists every year, and has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León. A pistol shot is the starting signal of four days of merriment and fun. The first shot and the chiming of the church bells announce the start of the chúndara, an endless procession which makes its way to the Plaza del Coso, while the villagers throw buckets of water on the people below from their balconies. On arrival at the square, the young bulls are released. The bulls will be fought during the festival, and then on the last night served in a stew for all the villagers and guests. The penning of the bulls, which goes on all through the festival, starts at nine o'clock in the morning. The fights too go on all day in the Plaza del Coso, and are famous for the fact that there is one bull inside the ring and another outside. Bull festivals have been held in the Plaza del Coso since the Middle Ages, and the village also boasts several houses which conserve a touch of the Middle Ages in their construction. The gaudy wooden balconies are particularly noticeable, from where the residents observe the bull traditions and other events which take place throughout the year. Province: Valladolid Town: PEÑAFIE The Festival of the Tied Bull Eve of the Corpus Christi The Festival of the Tied Bull has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León, and is one of the great attractions of the village of Benavente, in the province of Zamora. The event, which is more than 300 years old, takes place during the celebrations of Corpus Christi, but has its prelude 50 days before the start of the festival. On this day the villagers act out the traditional demanding of the bull, the origin of which lies in the tale of how the son of the Benaventen Countess was killed by a bull. When she was told the news, the Countess asked as revenge that the bull was run to death in the streets by the villagers. From then on in memory of her son she donated a bull to the villagers on the same day every year. When the Countess died, the villagers ran en masse to demand the bull from the mayor, and this tradition is now also repeated every year. On this day in the Plaza Mayor all the villagers clamour for a bull: "toro! toro! toro!" until the mayor concedes. The festival lasts a week, but the main day is Wednesday, when the young men of the village run the bull around the whole town. It is a physical race between the men and the bull, which has a rope tied to its horns so that it doesn't escape from the course. The bull does not suffer at all, in fact there are three places where it can rest without being harassed by the people. Province: Zamora Town: BENAVENTE Tournament of the Toro de Vega Pilgrimage following Tuesday to the Dia de la Peña, that agrees with the first Sunday after the 8 of September The tradition of the bull is evident in all the villages of Castilla y León, and the village of Tordesillas, in Valladolid, is no exception. In the middle of September the Torneo del Toro de Vega (the Bull Tournament of the Plains) is held, a festival that has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León. The Tournament is always celebrated on a Tuesday, according to the day of the Virgen de la Villa, on the 8th September. The Sunday after this date is the Día de la Peña , and the first Tuesday after that is the day of the Toro de la Vega. The festivities consist in a bull weighing more than 500 kilos being released in the town, which then runs from the street Calle de San Antolín, next to the Plaza Mayor, to the bridge over the river Duero before crossing the plains. Horsemen with lances pursue the bull, to fight it face to face. The festival reflects the beauty of the struggle between the bull, the horse and the lancer on the plains of Tordesillas. Province: Valladolid Town: TORDESILLAS Pamplona Spain: Running of the Bulls by: James Sherard I was 18 years old when I made the decision to take the summer off before entering what I imagined to be four years of incarceration in university, and thus set out in search of an adventure so compelling, it would sustain me through the tedious and interminable life of a student. My inspiration to make the journey stemmed from my father, who as a poet, writer, and avid traveler, had instilled in me a burning desire to explore the vagarious, exotic world of a rover. Countless nights I listened fervently to his tales of Spain, and of the splendor and pageantry of the bullfights that his hero, Ernest Hemingway, had immortalized through his prose. I knew intuitively that my first (and possibly last) quixotic quest before entering the realm of academia, would be to run with the bulls in the famous summer festival of Pamplona, Spain. The fiesta known as San Fermin, a seven day celebration deeply rooted in tradition, is held annually the first week of July in northern Spain. It's most characteristic event, the "encierro", or running of the bulls, is a bizarre and ostentatious display of machismo bravado. The spectacle is promptly initiated each morning by fireworks, proclaiming bulls have been released from their pens to run freely through the barricaded streets of the village to the nearby arena. Audacious thrill seekers test their courage by running ahead of the stampeding herd, often with disastrous results. Since its inception in the 13th century, (when butchers hurried slightly in front of bulls being led to auction to ensure themselves a choice place in the bidding), several people have been killed, and hundreds of others seriously injured. It was with this disconcerting thread of historical data weaving through my road weary head, that I circumspectly stepped down from the bus one pristine evening, into the quaint, and sleepy village known as Pamplona. Arriving a day before the official start of the festival, I was hard pressed to find a room anywhere, and finally with luck stumbled upon a run down hotel on the outskirts of town, where an assortment of like-minded adventurers had gathered together in camaraderie born of necessity. I found myself sharing a room with three sleep deprived revelers, who having arrived a day earlier, enthusiastically briefed me on the previous nights activity, which consisted primarily of inhaling massive quantities of vino from a goatskin bag, the erubescent liquid invariably cascading profusely down their white linen shirts. Looking fondly back on that time, I recall a sea of scarlet clad men careening through the village streets in a state of exultation, no doubt a result of the generous amount of libation consumed, but more importantly, because they were young and carefree, passionately embracing the ephemeral, bittersweet joy of their youth. The next morning I and my comrades began the day in the manner that anyone facing almost certain death would .... we drank as much wine as possible. With a sense of dread and exhilaration in equal measure, we made our way to the threshold of the village's makeshift corral, where secured behind a massive wooden gate stood a legion of ominous looking bulls. They appeared as apprehensive and fearful as ourselves, and I secretly hoped that through some inexplicable means of cerebral transference, we would establish telepathic agreement to stay as far away from each other as possible during the impending ordeal. I was stunned by their stupendous size and obvious strength, and realized, that as my sister had so adamantly informed me of the day I left, I truly must be insane to contemplate such an endeavor. With one long last pull from the wine bag, I resolved to scoff in the face of danger, and like a dauntless matador about to enter the arena, I cast my fate to the Mediterranean wind. What ensued in the next few seconds, is referred to by ancient zen masters as... kensho. A moment so firmly entrenched in the present, that all mundane concerns of past and future concede to to the all encompassing now. Upon the release of the formidable creatures, I remember sprinting blindly forward down the antediluvian road, my one consuming thought that of reaching the distant ring, where those who successfully finished the course would be granted a seat to the afternoon bullfights. Propelled onward by a flush of panic induced adrenalin, I suddenly found myself running not from the beasts, but among them. A conglomeration of thrashing legs, arms, and gleaming sweat laden bull flesh had somehow intertwined, generating a pulsating throng of spasmodic motion that thundered along the narrow cobblestone passageways in a frenetic state of terror, aggregated with an emotion that can only be described as... euphoric. Running surrealistically amidst the advancing horde, I instinctively strived to remain upright, and as far away as possible from the the myriad of horns that encirled me. Peripherally, I caught sight of one terrified participant overcome with fear, frantically attempting to make his way over the spectator-lined barricade, only to be pushed forebodingly back by the crowd, abandoned forsakenly to confront his precarious fate. With a profound sense of relief, I spotted the tattered wooden doors of the stadium, when without warning I was flung violently to the ground from behind, overtaken by the onrushing vortex of pandemonium vehemently intent on bursting through the small gridlocked opening that constituted the entryway. With a steady clicking of hooves resounding inches from my ears, I sprung to my feet in a desperate attempt to reach the sanctuary of the arena. Noticing a momentary breach in the deluge, I swiftly passed through the paltry aperture into the relative safety of the ring. Standing nebulously inert among the dispersing crowd, I was overcome by the realization that I was still physically intact, still breathing the crisp morning air.... the life affirming touch of the sun's luminous rays reassuringly enfolding my trembling shoulders. Like the multitude of madmen before me, I had run with the bulls of Pamplona, and survived to tell the tale....... was 18 years old when I made the decision to take the summer off before entering what I imagined to be four years of incarceration in university, and thus set out in search of an adventure so compelling, it would sustain me through the tedious and interminable life of a student. My inspiration to make the journey stemmed from my father, who as a poet, writer, and avid traveler, had instilled in me a burning desire to explore the vagarious, exotic world of a rover. Countless nights I listened fervently to his tales of Spain, and of the splendor and pageantry of the bullfights that his hero, Ernest Hemingway, had immortalized through his prose. I knew intuitively that my first (and possibly last) quixotic quest before entering the realm of academia, would be to run with the bulls in the famous summer festival of Pamplona, Spain. The fiesta known as San Fermin, a seven day celebration deeply rooted in tradition, is held annually the first week of July in northern Spain. It's most characteristic event, the "encierro", or running of the bulls, is a bizarre and ostentatious display of machismo bravado. The spectacle is promptly initiated each morning by fireworks, proclaiming bulls have been released from their pens to run freely through the barricaded streets of the village to the nearby arena. Audacious thrill seekers test their courage by running ahead of the stampeding herd, often with disastrous results. Since its inception in the 13th century, (when butchers hurried slightly in front of bulls being led to auction to ensure themselves a choice place in the bidding), several people have been killed, and hundreds of others seriously injured. It was with this disconcerting thread of historical data weaving through my road weary head, that I circumspectly stepped down from the bus one pristine evening, into the quaint, and sleepy village known as Pamplona. Arriving a day before the official start of the festival, I was hard pressed to find a room anywhere, and finally with luck stumbled upon a run down hotel on the outskirts of town, where an assortment of like-minded adventurers had gathered together in camaraderie born of necessity. I found myself sharing a room with three sleep deprived revelers, who having arrived a day earlier, enthusiastically briefed me on the previous nights activity, which consisted primarily of inhaling massive quantities of vino from a goatskin bag, the erubescent liquid invariably cascading profusely down their white linen shirts. Looking fondly back on that time, I recall a sea of scarlet clad men careening through the village streets in a state of exultation, no doubt a result of the generous amount of libation consumed, but more importantly, because they were young and carefree, passionately embracing the ephemeral, bittersweet joy of their youth. The next morning I and my comrades began the day in the manner that anyone facing almost certain death would .... we drank as much wine as possible. With a sense of dread and exhilaration in equal measure, we made our way to the threshold of the village's makeshift corral, where secured behind a massive wooden gate stood a legion of ominous looking bulls. They appeared as apprehensive and fearful as ourselves, and I secretly hoped that through some inexplicable means of cerebral transference, we would establish telepathic agreement to stay as far away from each other as possible during the impending ordeal. I was stunned by their stupendous size and obvious strength, and realized, that as my sister had so adamantly informed me of the day I left, I truly must be insane to contemplate such an endeavor. With one long last pull from the wine bag, I resolved to scoff in the face of danger, and like a dauntless matador about to enter the arena, I cast my fate to the Mediterranean wind. What ensued in the next few seconds, is referred to by ancient zen masters as... kensho. A moment so firmly entrenched in the present, that all mundane concerns of past and future concede to to the all encompassing now. Upon the release of the formidable creatures, I remember sprinting blindly forward down the antediluvian road, my one consuming thought that of reaching the distant ring, where those who successfully finished the course would be granted a seat to the afternoon bullfights. Propelled onward by a flush of panic induced adrenalin, I suddenly found myself running not from the beasts, but among them. A conglomeration of thrashing legs, arms, and gleaming sweat laden bull flesh had somehow intertwined, generating a pulsating throng of spasmodic motion that thundered along the narrow cobblestone passageways in a frenetic state of terror, aggregated with an emotion that can only be described as... euphoric. Running surrealistically amidst the advancing horde, I instinctively strived to remain upright, and as far away as possible from the the myriad of horns that encirled me. Peripherally, I caught sight of one terrified participant overcome with fear, frantically attempting to make his way over the spectator-lined barricade, only to be pushed forebodingly back by the crowd, abandoned forsakenly to confront his precarious fate. With a profound sense of relief, I spotted the tattered wooden doors of the stadium, when without warning I was flung violently to the ground from behind, overtaken by the onrushing vortex of pandemonium vehemently intent on bursting through the small gridlocked opening that constituted the entryway. With a steady clicking of hooves resounding inches from my ears, I sprung to my feet in a desperate attempt to reach the sanctuary of the arena. Noticing a momentary breach in the deluge, I swiftly passed through the paltry aperture into the relative safety of the ring. Standing nebulously inert among the dispersing crowd, I was overcome by the realization that I was still physically intact, still breathing the crisp morning air.... the life affirming touch of the sun's luminous rays reassuringly enfolding my trembling shoulders. Like the multitude of madmen before me, I had run with the bulls of Pamplona, and survived to tell the tale....... |
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