Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos is a former

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 ...

Colonia del Sacramento , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento , pushpin_map = Uruguay , subdivisio ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. Built in 1909 it was shortly closed after prohibition of

bull fighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

in 1912. After a century of abandonment, in 2021 it was finally restored and transformed into a

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Cen ...

for musical or sportive events.

History

It officially opened on January 9, 1910, featuring the most famous

Bullfighters 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 activit ...

of the time, Ricardo Torres ( Bombita Grande) and his brother Manuel (a.k.a. Bombita Chico) from Spain. Although originally scheduled to open on January 8, the opening was postponed as the owners feared they did not have the necessary comforts and services required for the event. Due to public uproar, mainly from

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, they yielded to public demand and opened the following day to no less than 7,000 spectators. The arena hosted a total of eight fights before

was prohibited by the Uruguayan national government in 1912. When in operation it could host 10,000 spectators. It is designed in typically

Moorish style Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...

. The bull ring was part of a tourist complex including a

jai alai Jai alai (: ) is a sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled-in space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker ''cesta''. It is a variation of Basque pelota. The term ''jai alai'', coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also of ...

court, a hotel, and

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

. Currently only the racecourse is still in operation.

Restoration

As of 2019, the bullring was restored and turned into a multi-complex.

Gallery

Before restoration

File:Ruinas_Real_de_San_Carlos1.jpg File:Ruinas Real de San Carlos2.jpg File:Ruinas Real de San Carlos3.jpg File:Ruinas Real de San Carlos4.jpg

References

External links

Photos from Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos
Buildings and structures completed in 1910 Buildings and structures in Colonia Department Real de San Carlos Colonia del Sacramento Sport in Colonia Department {{bullfighting-stub