SpanishPassion. Royal Cavalry Armoury

Royal Cavalry Armoury

The Real Maestranza de Caballeria (Royal Cavalry Armoury), the Sevillian bullring, takes up a privileged place in the tauromachy, because of the outstanding figures it gaves to the Spanish traditional rejoicing, the knowledge of it public and the importance of it mythic arena.
In 1670 was created in Seville the Hermandad de la Maestranza (Armoury Fraternity), composed by noblemen who organized bullfights in order to celebrate outstanding events in the city or in the country. In the XVIII century the bullring was built in a hump and in 1733 it obtained the Royal qualification; the Prince of Borbón was designated Hermano Mayor (First Brother), and the bullring began to be the nobility’s representative place, a role that plays still nowadays.
During the first Feria de Sevilla (Sevillian Fair), dated in 1847, the bullfights occupied already a relevant place.

Actually, every Sevillian knows the Real Maestranza de Caballería, a private property, and most of the bullfighters say that this is the most important bullring in the world, and having there a great success is an extraordinary experience.
The season begins on Domingo de Resurrección (Holy Sunday), introducing the Feria de Abril, with most than twenty bullfighting events. Before the Corpus Christi are celebrated the summer novilladas (bullfights with young bulls and novice bullfighters) and, in September the Feria de San Miguel.
The bullfight, where are usually fighted six bulls, is opened with the paseíllo, a little parade composed by the bullfighters, the cuadrillas and the mounted officials. Next, it sounds the bugle, which announces that the bull is going out. The fighting of each of these bulls is divided in three successive parts (tercios). Tercio de varas, in which the bullfighter uses the capote (cloak) and the picador pricks the bull with a goad in order to prove it fierceness. In the tercio de banderillas, the banderilleros puts banderillas on the bull, proving this way how the animal bears the punishment. And the tercio de espadas is when the bullfighter offers the death of the bull makes the faena de muleta (the bullfighter uses a stick with a red cloth attached) and, finally slaughters the bull.