Spain 2016 - Seville, Plaza de Toros.

Last day in Seville and a few things left to do. Starting with the bullring, or Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza Caballeria de Sevilla , which is very old (started in 1762) and one of the most important in Spain. I spoke to an American tourist who went last Sunday and he said that it was pretty brutal but also exciting and the fans were very involved and intense. I don't have to decide, the next one is on Sunday and I will be on a train to Madrid.

The season has just started and runs until October with about one a week, except during the April fair when there is one every day.

The entrance and the Prince's gate.

Statue of a matador in the little park beside the ring.

An artist is commissioned each year to create the poster. This is a display of some of them in the entrance to the tour area.

Tours are offered every 20 minutes and are 20 minutes long. They are conducted in Spanish and English. We were unable to see the stables today as some of the horses were there already for tomorrows show.

Tomorrow there will be 6 bulls and the fight will be on horseback (Andalucian horses). There are only a couple of these each year as most are fights between bull and matador.

Tiles in the ladies bathroom. I guess the heart is for the matador.

We entered through the main (Prince's) gate, its is under the royal box. The tour guide explained everything in Spanish and then again in English, answering questions after each one. The ring holds about 13,000 people and is usually sold out. New rings can be twice as high and hold over 20,000, it popular here.

Modern bullrings are round, this one is oval. There are different entrances for the bull, horses, matador and exits to the hospital (on site) and for the dead bull to be dragged out and the successful matador to be carried out on peoples shoulders. The sand is higher in the centre to give the matador the advantage to run downhill to get behind the barriers and so the bull will have to slow or will run into them.

The bulls entrance, under the clock.

You can just see the top of the Geraldi tower. Just like any arena there are different tickets prices depending on location, shade vs sun, proximity etc.

Inside and the first room we were  taken to was an art gallery of paintings through the ages. The bulls are certainly revered; specially bred (cows are observed for their intelligence and aggressiveness and bred to intelligent aggressive bulls. Interesting note - bulls are territorial and will attack motion not colour. Cows are not distracted by motion or colour and go straight for the body)

This painting depicted the men excited  and the women turning away. There is no indication if it was the bull or the matador that won.

In the same painting you can see the cathedral, the second level of seating was added gradually over the years.

In the next room the guide described how bullfighting evolved. Initially the cavalry would joust for practice in fighting but because they could get hurt that way they eventually started fighting bulls. Matadors were their helpers to distract the bulls if they were going to hurt the horses or riders. It gradually moved from military practice to a spectator sport and the matadors became more popular than the riders. The horses used now are Percherons (large, heavy horses) and they wear padded protection.

In the next room she spoke about the development of the professional matador, schools and who developed the "rules of engagement" and sequence of events. The matador pictured on the right was from a family of matadors and killed his first bull at the age of 12. He was a traditionalist. The one pictured on the left came from a poor family and in order to gain recognition he began fighting in close to the bull. I gather it was quite contentious at the time.

I asked if the matadors wear any protection. She answered that they wear some extra padding around the waist and ribs, just cloth, and protecting one testicle (the one nearest the bull when he goes in for the kill). Matadors have to learn to be right handed, due to the method of killing the bull with a sword to the heart. When asked about female matadors she said that the bull doesn't care but that the society does.

In general the bulls are 5 years old when they are bought to fight. This one was the last one "pardoned". The matador felt he was so intelligent and so brave he should not die, he stepped back and appealed to the judge who agreed and the bull was spared. He died last year at the age of 9, having spent the last 4 years in the fields making hay with the cows (Ok, he wasn't actually making "hay").

The top matadors are considered artists and athletes and are very well paid and spend a lot of money on their elaborate costumes. However she said there are only about 12 to 15 who are at the top with managers and entourages etc, most have to have a second job. The last stop on the tour was the chapel where the matadors pray before the fight.

 

Some people went to inquire about tickets after the tour but personally it had made me realize that I couldn't go to one. I was feeling a little ill just hearing about it and I know I couldn't watch.

Seating and prices.