Imogen Calderwood
RONDA’S annual Goyesque bullfighting festival all kicks off tomorrow.
The main attraction of the Feria de Pedro Romero – held from September 1-6 – is the Saturday night bullfight at the Real Maestranza.
Ahead of the event each year, a procession of horse-drawn carriages winds its way through Ronda with everyone dressed in 18th century Goyesque costumes.
The tradition of celebrating Spanish painter Francisco de Goya dates back 60 years to when a local bullfighter arranged the first Goyesque festival to mark the 200th anniversary of Pedro Romero, the founder of modern bullfighting.
Goya’s famous painting of Pedro Romero is currently displayed at the Kimbell Art Foundation in Texas.
It is not a “bullfight”…it is a bull slaughter…ah no sorryyy it is culture
This is barbarism and has no place in 21st Century Europe.
Bullfighting has to stop. Absolutely barbaric & disgusting act.
Totally agree. This is not “sport” nor neither “culture”! It is merely barbarity and cruelty to animals, while the vainglorious matador struts.
To tell the truth, I am always on the side of El Toro! Enough of this pagan blood sport! It is a disgusting blot on the culture and people of Spain, and those tourists who go to view such spectacles are equally guilty.
Well, don’t go. Actually, if you did, you might have an opinion worth airing.
Lenox: One doesn’t need to SEE an animal tortured in order to appreciate it’s suffering. You need to have a word with yourself.
Come on Lenox, when was your opinion more valid than someone elses? Is that how a journalist thinks? If everyone turned a blind eye to every event in the manner you suggest, nothing would change, even the things that you do want stopped, so you present a weak argument.
Unfortunately Bullfighting has a stronghold in Andalucia. Keep protesting against this at any chance you get.
It must be a conundrum for people brought up on bullfighting in Spain, the pageantry, the music, the social aspect. It’s the norm for them. Luckily a lot of the Spanish youth are against this ultimate torture. They are a lot more forethinking, respectful and intelligent than British youth by a long way. If you don’t think this you surround yourself with the wrong people. (MOANING EX PATS)
FRED, I really like ‘when was your opinion more valid than someone elses?’
YOU actually said that grumps! ha ha
Derek, what has moaning expats (your obsession) got to do with bullfighting? In fact, most Spaniards don’t want it either, and that’s not just the youth. I hope both Spaniards and expats continue to complain about this ad infinitum. Btw, constantly beating on UK youth makes them hate you even more and solves nothing.
When you moving to Spain btw?
‘The history of the bullfight is intertwined with that of Spain, so much so, that if you don’t know the first, it would be impossible for you to understand the second’. José Ortega y Gasset.
‘The bulls are the most cultured fiesta that exists in the world’. Federico García Lorca.
There are always two sides to a question.
The slaughter of thousands in the ancient Coliseum is also intertwined with the history of Rome and integral to the Roman culture of that period. That does not make its pageantry any more tolerable to an enlightened civilization. Of course there are always two sides to a question. Just ask the BULL!
You see, the bull’s a bull. It doesn’t talk. It’s a sort of boy-cow. Different.
Anyway, the point is – leave those who like the corrida in peace. If you want to campaign, campaign against war, the arms trade, pedophilia, human trafficking, drugs and gender violence. Tough campaigns that respect our fellow citizens.
Lenox, please also leave campaigners against the corrida in peace to air their wishes and opinions. Is that ok with you?
As long as Rajoy and his PP cronies are in power Bullfighting will continue as the PP try to appease their core voters which are the pro bullfighting crowd.
I maybe getting things mixed up but I am pretty sure the PP recently pass a bill to protect bullfighting, give it various tax breaks and return it to state TV
I’ve been to Ronda and witnessed a bull fight (slaughter)
I’m an animal lover and I thought I’d hate it…but it is an amazing spectacle. I think the slaughter of humans by war, terror, hatred, starvation, poverty etc are more deserving causes
You know there’s an expat who lives in the USA and contributes to and audio forum. His mantra is simple and to the point – I’ll call deer hunting a sport when the deer have rifles too.
So Baysideguy – did you get the bulls’ opinion too – thought not. The Romans were a nasty bunch who did their best to wipe out a lot of Europe’s and North Africa’s wildlife. It was they that introduced this cowardly and degenerate pastime to the Iberian peninsular.
So in no way is it part of the peninsular’s many and varied cultures, since only around 2-3% of the population has any Latin blood and that from rape by the little Latin soldiers.
Their is factual history and then there is b/s.
I expect he was having a joke. Still and all – there are (1) those who like bullfighting, (2) those who don’t and lastly, (3) those who don’t like those who do. Personally, I find the third group the most intolerant.
I don’t like beheading Christians, I don’t like people who do like beheading Christians… personally, I find the group who do like beheading Christians the most intolerant.
I also find the people who like bullfighting are pretty intolerant of anyone who argues against them.
Venturemike,
saludos for a brilliant reposte, it should be remembered that Pizarro and his fellow conquistadores got drunk and used to have frequent beheading sessions using the Inca intelligensia – I don’t like anyone who was or is into beheading unarmed people.
People, bulls… what’s the difference? (By the way, the only bulls that get beheaded are the ones in the abattoir.)