José Carlos Frita Falcão, known as José Falcón (30 August 1944 – 11 August 1974) was a
Portuguese 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 ...
whose
bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
career spanned just over a decade. , he was the last matador to be killed in the ring.
Born in Aldeia de Póvoas,
Vila Franca de Xira, Falcão made his first public appearance at a bullfighting event in
Montijo,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, close to his hometown on 20 May 1962. He became a popular matador and on 15 May 1967 he appeared in a
Spanish bullfight at
Mérida with
Juan Carlos Beca Belmonte and
Gabriel de la Casa. During a professional 12 year bullfighting career he headlined many events including 30 in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
between 1969 and 1970 alone and afterwards showcased his talents in
México on 13 December 1970 in an event with
Joaquín Bernadó and
Antonio Lomelín.
Falcão's career came to an abrupt end in August 1974 in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, after being gored in the leg by the
bull while working with the
muleta
A muleta is a stick with a red cloth hanging from itmuleta' in the Diccionario de la Real Academia. that is used in the final third ('' tercio de muleta'' or ''de muerte'') of a bullfight. It is different from the cape used by the matador earlier ...
. He might have survived the ordeal had he not insisted on killing the bull,
Cucharero, before being treated for his wound, which worsened as the fight continued and the artery in his leg ruptured. He died a few hours after being gored.
See also
*
Forcado
*
Portuguese bullfighting
Portuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting, most notably in the fact that the bull is not killed in front of an audience in the arena. The ''cavaleiros'' and the ''forcados'' are unique to the Portuguese ...
External links
"Death Rides the Horns"Circle of Sand
1944 births
1974 deaths
Bullfighters killed in the arena
Portuguese bullfighters
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