Plaza de Toros del Retiro was a bullfighting coliseum of Buenos Aires of the 19th century. This

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

was established in the city during the last years of the colonial period.

History

The Plaza de Toros del Retiro was made by the architect Francisco Cañete, and its construction was completed on June 25, 1801. The

Auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...

was built

octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...

ally, with capacity for 9,000 people, was inaugurated on October 14, 1801, on the occasion of the celebration of the birthday of the Prince of Asturias Don

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

. The Plaza de Toros del Retiro was the successor of the

Plaza de Toros de Montserrat Plaza de Toros de Montserrat was a Spanish colonial auditorium of bullfighting shows. It was located in the suburbs of the neighborhood of Montserrat (Buenos Aires). History The Plaza de Toros de Montserrat was the first bullfighting auditoriu ...

, inaugurated in 1791, and closed in 1800. This property was located in the current Plaza San Martín, on land that belonged to Miguel de Riglos, and later the Asiento de Inglaterra, a branch in Buenos Aires of the

South Sea Company The South Sea Company (officially The Governor and Company of the merchants of Great Britain, trading to the South Seas and other parts of America, and for the encouragement of the Fishery) was a British joint-stock company founded in Ja ...

. During the English invasions, the bullring was taken by the troops of Whitelocke, being also the scene of the Battle of the Retiro, between the troops of

Santiago de Liniers Santiago Antonio María de Liniers y Bremond, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, Order of Montesa, KOM, Order of Malta, OM (July 25, 1753 – August 26, 1810) was a French People, French officer in the Spain, Spanish military service, and a viceroy of ...

and Samuel Auchmuty. After establishing the prohibition of bullfighting in Buenos Aires, the Retiro bullring was demolished by order of the Supreme Director

José Rondeau José Casimiro Rondeau Pereyra (March 4, 1773 – November 18, 1844) was a general and politician in Argentina and Uruguay in the early 19th century. Life and Politics He was born in Buenos Aires but soon after his birth, the family moved t ...

in 1819.

References

{{reflist Bullrings in Argentina History of South America Río de la Plata