Francisco Montes Reina (January 13, 1804 – April 4, 1851), nicknamed ''Paquiro'', was a
matador
A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
and celebrity. He was born in
Chiclana de la Frontera
Chiclana de la Frontera () is a town and municipality in southwestern Spain, in the province of Cádiz, Andalucía, near the Gulf of Cádiz. It belongs to the association of municipalities of the Bay of Cádiz (Bahía de Cádiz), the provincial c ...
,
Cádiz Province, Spain.
Intending to become a surgeon, Reina abandoned the plan after losing the sponsorship of a marquis left his father in financial difficulty. Forsaking the family business (masonry), Reina took up bullfighting.
Reina remains one of the most famous names in bullfighting history, having codified rules for bullfighting and contriving an order for fights. He also introduced the "Traje de Luz" - the suit that the bullfighters wear to this day.
Circa 1840 in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Reina was paid 6,000 Spanish reals for killing five bulls. Two years later, he earned 2,000 per bull. Until retirement in 1848, he was by far the most important bullfighter in Spain. He attempted to return to the ring after retirement, but could not attain his former grandeur. His last fight was with the bull "Rumbón", July 21, 1850, in Madrid. He died at age forty-seven in his hometown.
There is a museum dedicated to him in his home town of Chiclana de la Frontera, in Cádiz province.
References
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20090919131920/http://www.portaltaurino.com/matadores/paquiro_1805.htm (dead link?)
Biography of Paquiro@ La Plaza Real
1804 births
1851 deaths
People from Chiclana de la Frontera
Spanish bullfighters
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