GALICIAL O C A L I D A D E S

A STEP-BY-STEP

GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING

BULLFIGHTING

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Bullfights have been held in Spain since the end of the eighteenth century. A bullfight is an event in which the bullfighters, on foot or on horseback, confront a number of bulls in an enclosed space built for this purpose.

THE BULLFIGHT IS DIvIDED INTO THREE STAGES OR THIRDS

TERcIOSTercio de varasThe first phase of a bullfight in which the “Picador”, with his lance, steps forth to weaken the bull’s strength.

Tercio de BanderillasThe second phase of a bullfight in which the “Banderillas” jab the bull’s neck.

Tercio de MuerteThe third phase during which time the bull is put to death.

corrida de torosThe bullfighters fight on foot and must belong to the category of “Matador de Toros” acquired in a ceremony called “Alternativa”.

The “Alternativa” is a ceremony in which a bullfighter obtains the standing of “Matador de Toros”. In “La suerte de Matar” the veteran bullfighter approaches the novice with the sword and red cape (attached to a stick) in the left hand, and they are revealed at the same time. The veteran then hands over the sword and cape, as the novice turns over the cape to the veteran. Having finished the exchange, the “Padrino“ (the bullfighter that conducts the ceremony) usually congratulates or gives advice to the new swordsman or the protégé and they end by greeting each other. The ceremony is repeated with the second bull, but now the new swordsman is the one to give the bullfighting effects to the veteran.

The animal fighting in bullfights must weigh at least 470 kg and be at least four years old.

corrida de novillos o NovilladaThe swordsman are bullfighters on foot who haven’t yet received the title of “Matador de Toros”. The animals used in this case are Novillos, bulls that have not succeeded in demonstrating to a stockbreeder a certain level of fierceness required in the bullfighting trials. They usually are younger than the bulls fighting in a Corrida de Toros.

corrida de Rejones o RejoneoThe mounted bullfighter fights on horseback, assisted by a secondary bullfighters on foot.

THERE ARE THREE kINDS OF BULLFIGHTS

THE

BULLFIGHT STEP-BY-STEP

THE cLEARING

When bullfights took place in plazas, royal civil servants had to clear the people from the plazas before letting out the first bull. But nowadays when a bullfight takes place, in bullrings, clearing out the ring is a mere formality. In remembrance of this tradition today, two “Alguaciles” on horseback (persons responsible for opening the bull pen at the beginning of a bullfight) are dressed in the old style clothing from the time of Felipe IV. Their job is to go around the ring to make sure that it is devoid of people.

EL DESPEJO1.

Once the “despejo” is finished, the “Alguaciles” greet the president, nodding their heads and taking off their hats. Other duties of the “Alguaciles” include picking up the key from the bullpen, conveying and executing orders from the President, and giving out prizes to the bullfighters.

The President of the BullfightThe president of the bullfight must ensure that the bullfight conforms to current regulations. He conveys his orders to the bullfighters, bullring’s staff and the spectators by using different colored kerchiefs to represent the various meanings listed below:

The president uses the white kerchief to signal the beginning of the bullfight, to indicate changes to the different stages in the bullfight, to give warnings, to announce the release of the bulls and to award prizes to the bullfighters i.e. the ear and the bull’s tail.

The President uses the green kerchief to return the bull to the pen due to a physical defect.

The President grants pardon to the bull in light of its bravery. To carry out the pardon, there must be a petition from the public and the bullfighter and stockbreeder must also agree. The bull is, thus, allowed to roam free again in the countryside from which he came.

The President uses it to order the dead bull to be pulled around the ring, so it can receive the applause of the spectators in tribute to the bull’s good behavior.

White

Green

Yellow

Blue

2.EL PASEILLO

ONcE THE RING HAS BEEN cLEARED, THE OPENING PROcESSION

STARTS

Preceded by the “Alguacilillos”, the bullfighters and their teams go around the arena to the royal box to greet the President.

The three bullfighters do so in order of seniority. Seen from the front, the most veteran is to the right, the most novice is in the middle and to the left is the one with intermediate experience.

The “Banderilleros” (the ones who jab the bull with the “banderillas”) are situated also from right to left, according to their seniority and they march behind the swordsman.

Following them, two by two, the Picadores and finally, the Mozos de caballos (the horseman’s assistants), the “Areneros” (the men in charge of the sand in the bullring), are followed by the mules and the “Mulilleros” (the men in charge of bringing the dead bulls out of the arena).

As bullring’s staff show a banner with the name and weight of the first bull on it, one of the “Alguacilillos” gives the key to the bullpens to the “chulo de Toriles” (the person in charge of opening the door from which the bull comes out into the ring). Once the “Areneros” have cleaned the ring and everything is in order, the president taking out the white kerchief, orders the first bull to be released.

After a short sound of the bugles, the door of the bullpen is opened and the bull goes out into the arena.

THE LOOSE BULL3.

The members of the matador’s team and the matador face the bull with the cape. In the first two stages of the bullfight, the cape is used to “situar en suerte”, in other words, to take the bull to an ideal spot to be jabbed by the Picador and to be stabbed in the neck with the “Banderillas”. But the bullfighter also uses the cape artistically. There is a wide range of ways of using the cape.

SUERTE DE cAPA O cAPOTE

BULLFIGHTING

WITH THE cAPE4.

Bullfighting with the “Muleta” requires bleeding the bull of its strength, brought on by the actual bleeding that occurs when the lance punctures the bull’s back. The Stage of Varas is the phase in which the bull is lanced by the Picador in order to weaken it and prepare it for the Stage of Muleta (Suerte de Muleta).

The bleeding that depletes the bull of its energy must not be excessive but just enough to calm its frenetic reactions.

The Stage of Varas is also a sort of test to gauge the fierceness of the bull. Only two Picadores can be present in the bullring at the same time.

Two white circles painted on the sand in the ring create a boundary within which the “Picadores” must remain.

TERcIO DE vARAS

5.

The main objective of the Stage of “Banderillas” is to revive the bull without reducing its strength in order to prepare it for the next stage: The Stage of Muleta (Suerte de Muleta).

Three bullfighters’ assistants or sometimes the bullfighter him or herself jab the bull’s back with three pairs of “Banderillas”. The bull feels a sharp pain when the “Banderillas” have pierced its back.

TERcIO DE BANDERILLAS

6.

SUERTE DE MULETABULLFIGHTING

WITH THE RED cAPE7.

The Suerte de muleta is fundamental to determine the triumph or failure of the bullfighter. It is in this phase that the bullfighter, facing the bull alone, must demonstrate his close and personal idea of what it means to be a bullfighter. At the sound of the bugles and the drums, the bullfighter receives the red cape and the sword from the swordsman’s assistant.

If it is the bullfighter’s first bull, he addresses the presidency to request the appropriate permission and after paying homage, or perhaps not, to the death of the animal, he goes to the bull. The bull will be taken by the matador’s support team to the place selected by the bullfighter. From there, if the animal responds, he takes the bull into the middle of the ring, where a sense of solitude is even more pronounced.

“La Faena” is a collection of a series of connected steps the bullfighter makes, remaining still while the bull circles him. The bullfighter´s intent, through the power of his cape and not because of the bull´s natural fierceness, is to make the animal charge. The most valued elements in this stage are the excitement of the bullfighter´s execution of steps, together with the courage the bull displays to oppose difficulties. This ends with the “Suerte suprema”, and is followed with the killing of the bull.

The “Suerte de Matar” consists of preparing the bull for its death and of killing it by the use of the sword. The amount of time it takes to execute the bull’s death is limited and is indicated by warning signals given by the presidency. The most important of these signals are directed to the matador who, through lack of experience, uses an excessive amount of time to consummate the death of the bull. The correct thrusting of the sword is one that penetrates to the butt of the sword. If it doesn´t penetrate enough, it is called “Pinchazo”.

SUERTE DE MATAR

8.

Once the bull is dead, the audience, by applause and whistles, judges the matador´s performance and, as such, influences the final ruling from the president.

Two ears and tailThis is the highest trophy awarded in bullfighting in the category of first class. The president must take out the white kerchief three times before the bull is dragged away.

Two earsThe trophies that ensure that the bullfighter will be carried on the public´s shoulders through the main door of the bullring. The president must take out the white kerchief three times before the bull is dragged away.

One earThe audience decides if the bullfighter deserves the prize. The president must grant the bull´s ear to the bullfighter if the majority of the audience shows their white kerchief.

GreetingThis is the consolation prize given, when despite the bullfighter´s best efforts, things don´t come out the way he had intends.

THE TROPHIES9.

The yearling calf , “becerro” (a one or two-year old bull) is born, after nine months of gestation within a group called “Punta”. During the first nine months of life, it is fed with breast milk and it stays along side of the other young, its mother and the stud bull. Nine months later, the males separate from the females into different groups. When the animal turns two, it is no longer a yearling calf, but rather a “Novillo”. The “Novillo”, under the age of three is called “Eral” and the one who has already turned three is called “Utrero”. Only when the animal has turned four can it be called bull, “Toro”.

The “Erales” (two or three-year old males) undergo different trials in order to select the best bulls capable of producing off-spring that are “toros bravos”, fighting bulls. The “Tienta” is the test that the stockbreeder conducts in order to check the fighting spirit of the males and females.

The behavior of the first offspring in the bullring will be the definitive test to determine if the stud bull becomes part of the stockbreeder’s team or if it must be sacrificed.

THE BULLBREEDING AND SELEcTION

ANATOMY OF THE BULL

Cuerno Morrillo Bajos

Cruz

Espalda

Costillares

Dorso

Lomo

Grupa

PencaOreja

Testuz

Morro Papada

Codo

Axila Vientre Bálamo Bragada

Nalga

Orvejón

Rabo

Caña

Muslo

Pecho

BadanaBrazuelo

Antebrazo

BULLFIGHTER’S cOSTUME

La MonteraThe headwear worn by the bullfighter and his team. They usually wear it during the paseillo and the first two-thirds of the stages. The headwear is usually made of astrakhan.

El corbatínA very narrow tie.

La chaquetilla (The little jacket)A short, stiff jacket with padded shoulders and armholes opened to allow movement of the arms.

La Talequilla (The Pants)Tight pants from the waist to below the knee, adjusted by cords or tassels terminating in males. They are held up by suspenders.

Las Medias (Two pairs of stockings)A white cotton interior stocking and a pink silk exterior stocking.

Las Zapatillas (The Shoes)Flat, black colored shoes, adorned with a bow.

Montera

Chaquetilla

Taleguilla

Medias

Zapatillas

Capote

Corbatín

Camisa

Blanca

Las ventas Bullfighting Ring was built to replace the bullfighting ring located off the Aragon highway. The newer arena was built to be larger, given that the seating capacity of the previous one was insufficient because of the demographic growth that Madrid experienced during the first-half of the twentieth century.

The new bullfighting ring was inaugurated on October 12, 1934. It remained open without interruption until 1936, the year in which the Spanish Civil war began. The construction was directed by the architect Jose Espeliu, who died without seeing his work completed. The

ring is partially designed, using a Mozarabic style. The walls are inlaid with ceramic depictions of the shields of all the Spanish provinces, as well as their purely ornamental motifs.

The arena is 60 meters in diameter. The bullring has a seating capacity of 23,000 spectators. At present, 80% of the seats belong to season ticket holders. The bullfighting ring also has a Horse Arena, a Towing Arena an infirmary (which can be reached directly from the bullring), a chapel and a bullfighting museum, that are open to the public. Currently, the owner of the bullfighting ring is the regional community government of Madrid, but

LAS vENTASBULLFIGHTING RING

various private companies manage it.

The bullfighting ring is on 237 Alcala Street. The fastest and easiest way to get there is by metro Lines 2 and 5 that stop directly at the Las Ventas station where the bullring is located. Alternative transportation to the bullring includes taxi or car, although going by car is not advised due to parking problems.

All the seats are numbered and at the same time grouped in the following three main areas: Shade Sun and Shade Sun

Each of these areas is divided into several sections or Tendidos. The Shade is divided into five Tendidos: 9,10,1,2 and Preferente. The Sun and Shade is divided into Two Tendidos: 8 and 3 and the Sun is divided into four Tendidos: 7,6,5 and 4. Each Tendido is divided into five seating categories:vip category: the three first rows are: barrera (barrier), contrabarrera (front row) and delantera baja (second row)1 category: row 1 to 142 category: rows 15 to 273 category: gradas 4 category: andanadas

Map of the Las Ventas Bullfighting Ring on next page >>

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>> Purchase your bullfight tickets on line at www.bullfightticketsmadrid.com

LAS vENTASBULLFIGHTING RING

MAP OF THE

GALICIAL O C A L I D A D E S

Plaza del Carmen, 1 - 28013 Madrid (Spain)Tel.: 00 34 91 531 91 31e-mail: galicia@bullfightticketsmadrid.comwww.bullfightticketsmadrid.com

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