When people think about Spain, one of the first things that comes to mind for many people is a Spanish bullfight. It has a rich history in the southern part of Spain known as Andalusia and one of the most famous bullrings in the world is located in Seville. Bullfighting is not only a tradition in Spain, but also in neighboring countries like Portugal and France and much further away in Peru, Colombia and other countries throughout Latin America, as this sport was exported to the new world. In many of these other countries, the bulls are not actually killed like they are in Spain.
Bullfighting Controversy
Even though for centuries Spanish bullfighting has been a national tradition throughout all of Spain, it’s much different today. In Catalonia, the northeastern autonomous region of Spain, has made bullfighting illegal and there is now more controversy over this Spanish tradition as more and more Spaniards and people from around the world see it as a cruel sport and nothing more than animal abuse, even though it has been a part of the national fabric of Spain since Roman times. If it’s not something you want to see when visiting Spain, you can take a pass and not go to a bullfight, as there so so many other things to do, but if you are interested in seeing this tradition live and in action, Seville, is the place to witness it.
Seville’s Plaza de Toros
The bullring in Seville is known as the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla and is the oldest bullring in Spain. It’s not the largest, as that bullring is located in Madrid, but this one can hold more than 13,000 spectators. The Plaza de Toros was built sometime between 1762 and 1881 to host Seville’s first bullfight. It was built with a Baroque style architecture. It is one of the most visited attractions in Seville so it should be on anyone’s list if they want to learn more about bulls, matadors and this Spanish tradition.
Experiencing a Bullfight
If you do decide to take in a bullfight while visiting Seville, it won’t matter where you sit, as the acoustics allow you to hear everything from wherever you are sitting. Even though many Spaniards from younger generations dislike this sport and the number of bullfights have decreased dramatically over the years, it still remains popular during the bullfighting season from Easter Sunday to October, where they will have about 20 bullfights throughout the season which take place on Sunday evenings.
Touring Seville’s Plaza de Toros
If you don’t visit Seville on a Sunday, you can still take a tour of the bullring itself as well as the museum. The museum explains the sport’s history from the 18th century to present day and has memorabilia such as the bullfighters costumes, paintings of the sport and of course slain bull heads from past fights. You will also visit the chapel, where the bullfighters will pray before entering the bullfight ring. Many probably pray not to get hurt by the bull because about 20 percent of the time bullfighters do get hurt and need emergency care. That leads us to the infirmary, which you will also visit on the tour, where the bullfighters will receive emergency treatment if they have been impounded by one of the bulls horns. There is also a souvenir shop where you can by a multitude of different things for friends and family members back home who might be interested in learning about the tradition of Spanish bullfighting.
This traditional Spanish sport, known as a bullfight, might not be for everyone, but it is definitely one of the many Treasures of Traveling throughout southern Spain. Read about things to experience in other southern cities of Spain, like Granada.
Check out the map below to see where Seville’s Plaza de Toros is located at!
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