History of Bullfighting and the Spanish Tradition

Introduction

Bullfighting (tauromaquia in Spanish, tauromachie in French, tauromaquia in Portuguese) is one of the most distinctive Iberian and Hispano-American cultural traditions, with continuous documented practice from ancient Iberian and Roman origins through the modern corrida tradition. The bullfighting tradition has been shaped by ancient Iberian Celtiberian cultural tradition, Roman amphitheater traditions, medieval Spanish caballeros' equestrian bull-baiting tradition, and the 18th century modern Spanish corrida codification. The modern global bullfighting landscape is anchored by the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (established 1761), the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid (established 1931), the Plaza México (the world's largest bullring, established 1946 in Mexico City), and other principal Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, French, and South American bullrings. The bullfighting tradition continues in Spain, Portugal (with restrictions on killing the bull), Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, France (in southern French bullrings including Nîmes and Arles), and other countries. This article surveys the full history of bullfighting from ancient origins through the modern tauromaquia tradition.

Ancient and Medieval Origins

Bullfighting extends from ancient Iberian and Roman origins. Ancient Iberian Celtiberian bull worship traditions, with the Iberian bull as one of the principal Celtiberian religious symbols, established the foundational Iberian bull cultural tradition. The Roman amphitheater bull-fighting tradition, with the Hispania Romana provinces hosting various Roman bull-fighting events, extended the Iberian bull cultural tradition. The medieval Spanish caballeros' equestrian bull-baiting tradition (the knightly bull-fighting tradition with Spanish nobility fighting bulls on horseback as military training and knightly entertainment) extended the principal medieval Spanish bullfighting tradition. The 1090 Burgos recorded bullfighting event (in celebration of the marriage of King Alfonso VI's daughter to Prince Ramon Berenguer III) is widely regarded as one of the earliest documented medieval Spanish bullfighting events. The 1567 Pope Pius V Salutaris Hostiae bull excommunicating Spanish nobility engaged in bullfighting was substantially ignored. The 1726 Pope Benedict XIII withdrawal of the Salutaris Hostiae excommunication extended the modern Spanish bullfighting tradition.

Francisco Romero and the 1726 Modern Corrida

Francisco Romero (1700-1763), the Spanish matador from Ronda, established the modern corrida tradition through his 1726 codification at Ronda. Francisco Romero's 1726 modern corrida codification replaced the medieval equestrian bull-baiting tradition with the modern on-foot corrida tradition (with the matador fighting the bull on foot rather than on horseback) — the foundational modern corrida innovation. The 1761 Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla bullring opening (the principal Spanish bullring at Seville) extended the modern Spanish bullfighting tradition. Pedro Romero (1754-1839), the grandson of Francisco Romero and matador from Ronda, killed approximately 5,600 bulls during his 28-year career — the most bulls killed by any matador in any era. The continued Spanish bullfighting tradition through the 18th and 19th centuries has continued through subsequent decades. The 1845 Plaza de Toros de Madrid (subsequently replaced by Las Ventas in 1931) established the modern Madrid bullfighting tradition.

The Golden Age — Belmonte, Joselito, Manolete

The 1910s through 1940s golden age of Spanish bullfighting produced extraordinary individual results. Juan Belmonte (1892-1962), the Spanish matador from Seville, established the modern bullfighting technique by fighting bulls from extremely close proximity (rather than the traditional greater distance approach), with the Belmonte technique substantially transforming the modern bullfighting tradition. José Gómez Ortega (Joselito, 1895-1920), the Spanish matador from Gelves (near Seville), produced extraordinary results across the 1910s. Joselito's May 16, 1920 death in the Talavera de la Reina bullring (gored by the bull Bailaor) produced extensive Spanish national mourning. Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez (Manolete, 1917-1947), the Spanish matador from Córdoba, produced extraordinary results across the 1940s. Manolete's August 28, 1947 death in the Linares bullring (gored by the bull Islero) produced extensive Spanish national mourning. The continued Spanish bullfighting through the 1950s through 1970s has produced extraordinary matadores including Antonio Ordóñez, Luis Miguel Dominguín, El Cordobés, and Paco Camino.

Modern Matadores and José Tomás

Modern matadores have produced extraordinary results across subsequent decades. José Tomás (born 1975, born José Tomás Román Martín), the Spanish matador from Galapagar (near Madrid), produced extraordinary results across the late 1990s through subsequent decades. José Tomás's near-fatal goring incidents including the 2010 Aguascalientes Mexico goring (in which José Tomás nearly died from extensive blood loss) extended the José Tomás legacy. Other modern matadores include Enrique Ponce (the Spanish matador with extensive 1990s-2020s career), Julián López "El Juli" (the Spanish matador, born 1982), Talavante (Alejandro Talavante, the Spanish matador), Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez (the Spanish matador and member of the Ordóñez bullfighting family), Roca Rey (the Peruvian matador, born 1996, one of the principal modern Peruvian bullfighters), Pablo Aguado, Morante de la Puebla, Ginés Marín, Tomás Rufo, and others. Principal bullfighting venues include Las Ventas (Madrid), Real Maestranza (Seville), Plaza de Toros de Pamplona, and Plaza México (Mexico City).

Portuguese Cavaleiros and the Forcado Tradition

The Portuguese bullfighting tradition (tourada in Portuguese) differs substantially from the Spanish bullfighting tradition. The principal Portuguese bullfighting tradition involves the cavaleiro (the Portuguese mounted bullfighter, fighting the bull on horseback in the traditional Iberian equestrian bull-fighting tradition) and the forcados (the unarmed group of eight bullfighters who attempt to bring down the bull through pega — the controlled physical confrontation with the bull). The 1799 Portuguese royal decree banning the killing of the bull in the Portuguese bullring substantially distinguished the Portuguese bullfighting tradition from the Spanish bullfighting tradition. The Portuguese bullfighting tradition continues to not kill the bull in the bullring (subsequently killed off-arena after the bullfight). Principal Portuguese cavaleiros include João Moura (the principal modern Portuguese cavaleiro of the 1980s through 2000s), António Ribeiro Telles, João Salgueiro, Luís Rouxinol, and others. Principal Portuguese bullrings include the Campo Pequeno bullring in Lisbon.

Mexican and Latin American Bullfighting

The Mexican bullfighting tradition extends from the Spanish colonial period through the modern Mexican corrida tradition. The 1946 Plaza México opening (the world's largest bullring at 41,262 spectator capacity, located in Mexico City) extended the modern Mexican bullfighting tradition. Mexican matadores include Carlos Arruza, Manolo Martínez, Eloy Cavazos, Manolo Mejía, Antonio Lomelín, José Ramón Tirado, Eulalio López "Zotoluco", Joselito Adame, Octavio García "El Payo", Diego Silveti, and others. The 2022 Mexico City court ruling temporarily suspending bullfighting at the Plaza México (subsequently resumed in early 2024 following a successful appellate ruling, but subsequently banned again in 2024 by the Mexico City legislative assembly) produced extensive Mexican bullfighting cultural and political attention. Mexican bullfighting legal status has continued to be subject to legal and political debates. Peruvian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Venezuelan bullfighting traditions have continued through subsequent decades.

Catalan Ban and Regional Restrictions

The 2010 Catalan ban on bullfighting (the Parliament of Catalonia voting 68-55 with 9 abstentions to ban bullfighting in Catalonia, effective January 1, 2012) shaped the modern Spanish bullfighting legal landscape. The 2016 Spanish Constitutional Court ruling overturned the Catalan bullfighting ban as the Constitutional Court determined that the regional ban exceeded the Catalan regional competence over cultural matters. The 2018 Balearic Islands bullfighting restrictions substantially restricted bullfighting in the Balearic Islands. The 2024 Mexico City legislative assembly ban on bullfighting (subsequently challenged in the courts) produced extensive Mexican bullfighting cultural and political attention. Spanish and Mexican animal welfare critic organizations have continued to advocate for additional regional bans through subsequent decades. The continued bullfighting traditionalist advocacy organizations including the Fundación Toro de Lidia have continued through subsequent decades. The bullfighting cultural patrimony status has continued through subsequent decades.

Bullfighting Technique and Ritual

Modern competitive bullfighting includes the three-act corrida structure (tercio de varas, tercio de banderillas, and tercio de muerte). The first tercio (tercio de varas) involves the picador (the mounted bullfighter with the pica lance) weakening the bull through pica thrusts to the bull's morrillo (the hump of muscle on the bull's neck). The second tercio (tercio de banderillas) involves the banderilleros (the subordinate bullfighters) planting banderillas (the decorated darts) in the bull's morrillo. The third tercio (tercio de muerte) involves the matador performing the faena (the principal bullfighting performance) with the muleta (the red cape) and subsequently killing the bull with the estoque (the principal bullfighting sword). The corrida traje de luces (the principal bullfighting suit) tradition has continued through subsequent decades. Bullfighting awards include the oreja (the bull's ear), rabo (the bull's tail), and vuelta al ruedo (the bullring lap of honor).

Bullfighting Culture and the Modern Debate

Bullfighting culture extends substantially beyond the competitive bullfighting tradition. Spanish bullfighting cultural references include Federico García Lorca's Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías (1935), Ernest Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon (1932) and The Sun Also Rises (1926), bullfighting films, bullfighting documentaries, bullfighting music traditions, the Pasodoble musical tradition, and other bullfighting cultural references. Bullfighting cultural and political debates have continued through subsequent decades. Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, French, and other bullfighting critic organizations have continued to advocate for regional bans through subsequent decades. The bullfighting traditionalist advocacy organizations including the Fundación Toro de Lidia and other organizations have continued through subsequent decades. The bullfighting cultural status as Spanish cultural patrimony and Spanish UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity application considerations have continued through subsequent decades.

The Future of Bullfighting, Conclusion, and Sources

The future of bullfighting faces significant questions in the third decade of the twenty-first century. The continued bullfighting regional ban debates, traditionalist advocacy, cultural patrimony status, broadcast development, and Iberian, Mexican, French, and Latin American bullfighting traditions will continue to shape the bullfighting landscape. Bullfighting cultural traditions across Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, French, and South American venues will continue through subsequent decades. Mexican, Spanish, French, and other bullfighting legal status developments will continue through subsequent decades. Individual bullfighting figures will continue to shape the bullfighting tradition. The continued careers of José Tomás, Enrique Ponce, El Juli, Roca Rey, Morante de la Puebla, Talavante, Pablo Aguado, Ginés Marín, Tomás Rufo, Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, and many others will continue to shape the bullfighting legacy. Yet the basic principle of bullfighting — the fundamental Iberian and Hispano-American cultural tradition that has underpinned the Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, French, and South American cultural traditions for centuries — has shaped the cultural tradition for more than 300 years and continues to face significant cultural and political debates. Sources include: Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon (Scribner, 1932); Barnaby Conrad, La Fiesta Brava: The Art of the Bull Ring (Houghton Mifflin, 1953); A.L. Kennedy, On Bullfighting (Yellow Jersey, 1999); Adrian Shubert, Death and Money in the Afternoon: A History of the Spanish Bullfight (Oxford University Press, 1999); BBC Sport coverage, bbc.co.uk/sport; Las Ventas archives, las-ventas.com.