Pedro Romero Martínez (19 November 1754 – 10 February 1839) was a legendary
bullfighter from the Romero family in
Ronda,
Spain.
His grandfather Francisco is credited with advancing the art of using the
muleta; his father and two brothers were also
toreros. As a youth he participated in bullfights in
Algeciras and in Seville in 1772; and in Madrid, with his father and
Costillares, in 1775. In the following year he killed 285 bulls, establishing his reputation. He allegedly fought 5,558 bulls without incurring serious injury before retiring in 1799.
He was known as the first matador to present the bullfight as an art form as well as a display of courage. After retiring, Romero was appointed the head of a bullfighting school in
Seville. Although the school lasted only from 1830 to 1832, it had an enormous influence where Romero offered his knowledge to matadors-in-training. He is credited with the invention of the classical style of bullfighting in the School of Ronda and Pedro Romero's name is inseparable from the Plaza de Toros (bullring).
He killed numerous bulls in a bullring in Madrid at the age of eighty, probably the last
corrida he fought.
Notable References
*
Hemingway, in his novel ''
The Sun Also Rises,'' portrays a young, "beautiful" and very artful bullfighter whom he names Pedro Romero, presumably after Pedro Romero Martinez.
*The infamous organisation
PTNKY has been noted for its use of the art piece "Portrait of the Matador Pedro Romero" in its art exhibitions and events.
See also
*
Romero dynasty
Romero is family of bullfighters from Ronda, Spain, dating back to the 18th century. The only other family with a comparable history in bullfighting are the Ordóñez, whose founder, Cayetano Ordóñez, "El Niño de la Palmas", was also from Ronda ...
*
List of bullfighters
References
1754 births
1839 deaths
People from Ronda
Sportspeople from the Province of Málaga
Spanish bullfighters
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