Rafael Molina Sánchez (November 27, 1841 – August 1, 1900), called ''Lagartijo'' (lizard), was a Spanish bullfighter.
Early life
Rafael Molina was born in
Córdoba on November 27, 1841.
Career
On September 29, 1865, ''Lagartijo'' became a full bullfighter (he took the ''alternativa'') at
Úbeda
Úbeda (; from Iberian ''Ibiut'') is a town in the province of Jaén in Spain's autonomous community of Andalusia, with 34,733 (data 2017) inhabitants. Both this city and the neighbouring city of Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the ...
. His sponsor (''padrino'') was
Antonio Carmona y Luque, called ''
El Gordito''; ''Lagartijo'' killed ''
Carabuco'', a bull from the ranch (''ganadería'') owned by the Marchioness of Ontiveros.
During his career he was seriously gored seven times.
In 1887, ''Lagartijo'' presented his sword at the ''alternativa'' of
Rafael Guerra Bejarano, marking Guerra's elevation from an apprentice to a professional matador. A Spanish hand fan commemorating the occasion survives in the collection of the
Staten Island Historical Society Staten Island Historical Society is an organization devoted to the history of Staten Island and its neighboring communities, from the colonial period to the present day. The Society operates and interpreting Historic Richmond Town, the largest and ...
at
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is an authentic town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill R ...
in New York.
''Lagartijo'' retired from bullfighting in 1893.
Death
Rafael Molina died on August 1, 1900 in Córdoba.
Notes
External links
*http://www.portaltaurino.com/matadores/lagartijo.htm
*https://web.archive.org/web/20060422101839/http://www.legadoandalusi.com/legado/contenido/rutas/personajes/8549.htm
Depiction of "Lagartijo" on a fan in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database
1841 births
1900 deaths
Sportspeople from Córdoba, Spain
Spanish bullfighters
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