Antonio Ordóñez Araujo (16 February 1932 – 19 December 1998) was a Spanish

bullfighter A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...

Early life

Antonio Jiménez Ordóñez Araujo was born in

Ronda Ronda () is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliffside location and a deep canyon that ca ...

, Spain, on 16 February 1932. He was the son of

Cayetano Ordóñez Cayetano Ordóñez y Aguilera (January 24, 1904, Ronda, Spain - October 30, 1961, Madrid, Spain) is the patriarch of the Ordóñez family of bullfighters. His parents owned a shoeshop called ''La Palma'', which gave him his nickname (Niño de ...

, better known as Niño de la Palma, another

matador A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...

Career

He was one of the top bullfighters of his time. As a matador, Ordóñez fought over 3,000 bulls. He retired in 1968, having fought over 60 bullfights in that year alone, but came back until finally retiring in 1988.

Social life

Ordóñez met a number of writers and actors, and he also starred in a few films. Antonio was a long time friend of

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

, whom he called Father Ernesto. Hemingway wrote an account of Ordóñez's rivalry with the matador

Luis Miguel Dominguín Luis Miguel González Lucas (9 November 1926 – 8 May 1996), better known as Luis Miguel Dominguín, was a bullfighter from Spain and the son of the noteworthy bullfighter, Domingo Dominguín. Dominguín adopted his father's name to gain popul ...

(also Ordóñez's brother-in-law) titled ''

The Dangerous Summer ''The Dangerous Summer'' is a nonfiction book by Ernest Hemingway published posthumously in 1985 and written in 1959 and 1960. The book describes the rivalry between Spanish-style bullfighting, bullfighters Luis Miguel Gonzalez Lucas, Luis Miguel ...

''. Ordóñez also befriended Hollywood movie star

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

, whose ashes were buried on Ordóñez's estate after Welles's death.

Family

Ordóñez was married to Carmen Cristina González. They had two children, Ana Belén Ordóñez and Carmen Ordóñez. Carmen married the matador

Paquirri Francisco Rivera Pérez (; 5 March 1948 – 26 September 1984), better known as Paquirri (), was a Spanish bullfighter. He died after being gored by a Spanish Fighting Bull, bull named Avispado at the Pozoblanco bullring. During his career, he ...

(killed by a bull in 1984). His grandchildren, by daughter Carmen, are bullfighters

Francisco Rivera Ordóñez Francisco de Asís Rivera Ordóñez (prev. The Duke of Montoro; born 3 January 1974 in Madrid) is a Spanish ''torero'' or bullfighter. Family lineage Rivera comes from a long line of famous bullfighters: his great-grandfather was Cayetano Ord� ...

and

Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez Antonio Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez (born 13 January 1977 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish ''torero'' or bullfighter. Family ties Rivera is the son of Francisco Rivera 'Paquirri' and Carmen Ordóñez. He belongs to a long line of famous bullfighter ...

Death

Ordóñez died of

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

on 19 December 1998.

Legacy

He was honored with a monument at the gates of ''La Malagueta'' bullring in

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

and his ashes lie beneath the "toril" gate, opened to allow the bull to enter, in the oldest bullring in the world, in his home town of Ronda. His family owned the arena. There is a statue of him outside the arena.

Filmography

* ''Sol, playa y toros II. Bilbao - San Sebastián'' (1969) * ''Toros y fiestas'' (1968) * ''Historias de la fiesta'' (1965) * ''

La becerrada ''La becerrada'' is a 1963 Spanish comedy film directed by José María Forqué, written by Jaime de Armiñán and Ricardo Muñoz Suay, and starring Fernando Fernán Gómez, Amparo Soler Leal and . It was composed by Graciano Tarrago. Synopsis ...

'' (1963) * ''Tarde taurina'' (1957)

Honours

* Gold

Medal of Merit in Labour The Medal of Merit in Labour () is a civil medal awarded in Spain by the Council of Ministers in its gold category and by the Ministry of Labour in its silver and bronze categories to individuals or institutions excelling in a useful and exempla ...

(Kingdom of Spain, 24 December 1998).Boletín Oficial del Estado
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Notes

References

Antonio Ordóñez, Spanish matador
in ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

'' *Hemingway, Ernest (1985). ''

''; London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd;

External links

Portal Taurino article
1998 deaths 1932 births Spanish bullfighters People from Ronda Sportspeople from the Province of Málaga Deaths from liver cancer in Spain {{Spain-bullfighting-bio-stub