Tourada à corda (; "bullfight by rope"), toirada à corda or corrida de touros à corda, is a type of bullfighting traditional to the

Azores Islands ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

, and particularly the island of

Terceira Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 53,311 inhabitants in an area of approximately . It is the location ...

, where it is believed to be one of the most ancient recreational traditions in the archipelago. This type of bullfighting is peculiar to the Azores, and is composed of events with four adult bulls of the breed ''brava da ilha Terceira'' along a designated road or street around 500 metres in length. The bull is controlled by a rope around its neck, held by eight people (''pastores'') that direct the bull and prevent its leaving the field of play. The bull is led along the course of the road, and taunted and teased by players, but with no intent to kill the animal; the animal's horns are capped with balls or leather to diminish the risk to the players. All the bulls are released after each event in order to rest before the next event (at least three weeks). Portuguese immigrants from the Azores also practice the tradition of touradas à corda in Ontario, Canada and California, United States. of

Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it ...

in southern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

History

The first known ''tourada à corda'' was in 1622, organised by the Câmara de Angra during the celebrations in honour of the canonisation of saints

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...

and

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...

. It is presumed by the inclusion of the touradas in the festivities that they were already a popular event.

Sources

* '' Diário Insular'', 5 February 2009.

External links

Regulamento das Toiradas à Corda

Decreto que regulamenta as touradas
Azorean culture Bullfighting in Portugal Bull sports Terceira Island {{bullfighting-stub