Don Tancredo was a bullfighting technique which was popular in the first half of 20th century. It consisted of a person, who plays the part of Don Tancredo, who waits for the bull whilst standing on a

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

located in the middle of the

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 ...

. The performer was dressed in period or comic costume and was painted completely white. He had to remain quiet in order to (supposedly) make the bull believe the person was a statue and therefore not attack him because of fear of the hardness of

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

. The origin of this practice is uncertain, although there are several sources that affirm that a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

bullfighter of little fortune named Tancredo López began this show as a desperate attempt to gain money in the late 19th century. The public received it well, and little by little it spread. Normally the Tancredo was played by desperate people who need to make easy money and who had little to lose, since the catches that took place were numerous. Consequently, the Tancredo was banned by the authorities, and in the middle of 20th century the last representations were made. One of the most popular appearances of Don Tancredo is interpreted by the

actor

Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando Fernández Gómez (28 August 1921 – 21 November 2007) better known as Fernando Fernán Gómez was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director and member of the Royal Spanish Academy for seven years. He was born i ...

in the film ''

El inquilino ''The Tenant'' (Spanish: ''El inquilino'') is a 1957 Spanish drama film directed by José Antonio Nieves Conde and starring Fernando Fernán-Gómez about how difficult it was to find an affordable flat in Madrid.D'Lugo p.182 At the time it was ban ...

''.

References

Bullfighting {{bullfighting-stub