The Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is a 12,000-capacity
bullring
A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are o ...
in Seville, Spain. During the annual
Seville Fair in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, it is the site of one of the most well-known
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 ...
festivals in the world. It is a part of the
Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla
The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (Spanish for 'Royal Cavalry Armory of Seville') is a Spanish Maestranza de caballería or chivalric order created in 1670 from the remnants of the preceding ''Cofradía de San Hermenegildo'' (or ''Her ...
, a noble guild established for traditional cavalry training.
The ring itself is considered one of the city's most enjoyable tourist attractions and is certainly one of the most visited. As a stage for bullfighting, it is considered one of the world's most challenging environments because of its history, characteristics, and viewing public, which is considered one of the most unforgiving in all of bullfighting fandom.
History
Construction began in 1749 of a circular ring on Baratillo Hill to replace the rectangular bullring that was previously located there. In 1761, the construction began to incorporate ''ochavas'' (each ''ochava'' being equivalent to four arches). At this early stage, the construction supervisors were Francisco Sánchez de Aragón and Pedro y Vicente de San Martín. The inner facade of the plaza (called the ''Palco del Príncipe'' or ''Prince's Box'') was completed in 1765. This 'box' consists of two parts: the access gate through which the successful bullfighters exit, and the theater box itself, which is reserved for the exclusive use of the
Spanish Royal Family
The Spanish royal family consists of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, their children (Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía of Spain), and Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. The royal family lives at Zarzuela Palace i ...
. The topmost part is composed of four arches over which is built a half-orange vault, whose topmost portion is covered by white and blue tiles. The sculptural group that concludes the composition is the work of the
Portuguese sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
Cayetano de Acosta. The Palco was built for the Infante de España, Felipe de Borbón, son of
Felipe V
Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...
and
Isabel de Farnesio
Elisabeth Farnese (Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy and was the ''de facto'' rule ...
.
When
Carlos III prohibited bullfighting celebrations in 1786, work on the sculptures was halted, even though only one-third of the plaza had been completed at the time. The old ''Palco de la Diputación'' (earlier called the ''Palco de Ganaderos'' or ''Herdsmen's Box'') is also from this period and is situated over the ''toriles'' gate and in front of the ''Palco del Príncipe''.
After 34 years the cover of the launching slips of half of the ring was finished, to the left and right of the ''Palco del Príncipe''; being easily viewed from the cathedral and the Giralda it was reflected in a great number of stamps of the time. By 1868 the ''Palco de la Diputación'' was in such a lamentable state that Italian
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
Augusto Franchy
Augusto is an Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
*Augusto Aníbal
*Augusto dos Anjos
*Augusto Arbizo
*Augusto Barbera (born 1938), Italian law professor, politician and judge
*Augusto Bene ...
undertook the improvement himself, building a new area with a marble balustrade and the crest of the ''Real Maestranza de Caballería''. The construction of five balconies to each side of the ''Palco de la Diputación'' was also added where the ring's clock is currently situated. The construction of the ring was completed in 1881; two thirds was constructed in stone, with the remainder in wood.
Between 1914 and 1915 the stone grandstands were redone in brick under the direction of Sevillian architect
Aníbal González. All the rows were reconstructed with a smoother slope. Ten to twelve rows of shaded seating were constructed as well as fourteen rows in the sun and three rows of barrier. A row of armchairs were built in the superior part of the shaded area, in front of the theater boxes.
The Season
Bullfights in Seville during the
Feria de Abril are the most important event of the city's bullfighting calendar. The regular season goes from March or April (depending on the Semana Santa dates) until late September. Every year the Real Maestranza commissions a painter to produce a poster announcing the bullfighting season in its Royal Bullring.
Tours
Regular tours are conducted of the Bullring and the Museum.
References
External links
Real Maestranza de Caballería de SevillaPlaza de Toros de La Maestranza website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maestranza
Bullrings in Spain
Buildings and structures in Seville
Buildings and structures completed in 1761
Sports venues in Seville
Tourist attractions in Seville