Bullfighting

Bullfighting is the national sport and is gaining popularity. In the Mediterranean, sacrificing bulls is a practice dating back to pre-historic times. In Greece for example, killing the minotaur is symbolic of a bullfight. Bullfighting as we know it today, started in the village squares, and became formalised, with the building of the bullring in Ronda in the late 18th century. From that time, it began to follow a particular sequence of events: the entrance of the bull, the picador, the banderilleros, and finally the matador (bullfighter). Many of the picadors' horses were injured in the early days, so these heavy horses now wear protection. There are about 70 bullrings in Andalucia. Sevilla is the most important as it has a week of fights which coincide with the Sevilla Spring Fair. Ronda is the oldest bullring in Spain and hosts the famous Goyesque Fair in early September. Some bullrings house bullfighting museums. They can also be used for other events such as pop concerts.