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Portuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting, most notably in the fact that the bull is not killed in front of an audience in the arena. The cavaleiros and the forcados are unique to the Portuguese variety of bullfighting, as well as the participation of horsewomen (cavaleiras) in the routines.
Most Portuguese bullfights (corridas de touros) are held in two phases: the spectacle of the cavaleiro, followed by the pega. In Portugal, the main stars of bullfighting are the cavaleiros, as opposed to Spain, where the matadores are the most prominent bullfighters. Nevertheless, bullfights with matadores are frequent, notably with Portuguese matadores who practice their trade in Spain and who, when in Portugal, replace the sword in their final strike with a bandarilha, a small type of spear. Examples of famous Portuguese matadores are Vítor Mendes and Pedrito de Portugal.
The spectacle starts with the cavaleiro, a horseman on a Lusitano specially trained for the fights, fighting the bull from horseback. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandeirilhas in the back of the bull.
In the second stage, called the pega, the forcados, a group of eight men, challenge the bull directly without any protection or weapon of defense. The front man provokes the bull into a charge to perform a pega de cara or pega de caras (face catch). The front man secures the animal's head and is quickly aided by his fellows who surround and secure the animal until he is subdued. Many people who watch Portuguese-style bullfights in the United States use the term, "suicide squad", to refer to this group of eight men.
The bull is not killed, at the end of the corrida, leading oxen are let into the arena and two campinos on foot herd the bull along them back to its pen. After the fight the bull may be either killed by a professional butcher or, after a good performance, restored to health and released to pasture for breeding.[ citation needed ] Nevertheless, tradition was so strong at the small frontier town of Barrancos, where the bull was illegally killed, that the government was forced to relent and permit the town to follow its ancient matador tradition and kill the bull.
There are other forms of traditional bullfighting in Portugal, some differing markedly from the version described above. In the Azores, bullfighting is often reminiscent of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, in the respect that those most at risk are human beings, not the bulls themselves. The Azorean style involves a group of people vying in a tug-of-war with a young bull by holding fast to a long stout rope tied around the bull's neck. This is called the tourada à corda (bull-on-a-rope 'game'). Portuguese immigrants from the Azores also practice "tourada a corda" in the city of Brampton, southern Ontario, Canada. [3]
In Portugal, some bulls have their horns trimmed, or simply covered, in a way that will not present any sharp points. This practice is believed to have been introduced in the 1700s by King Joseph I of Portugal, presiding at Salvaterra de Magos, after having witnessed a tragic accident during a bullfight; the son (and heir) of the Marquis of Marialva IV was fighting a bull on horseback when the animal wounded his horse, causing the young man to fall to the arena floor. He was then trampled and kicked to death. The Marquis himself, then around 70 years of age, leapt down from the royal seats that he shared with the King, drawing his sword and killing the bull, albeit several seconds too late.
Some southern and central regions of Portugal (such as Ribatejo and parts of the Alentejo), including Terceira Island, Azores, are traditionally more interested in the corrida de touros (running of the bulls) as opposed to bull-baiting or fighting. In the country’s northern regions, bullfighting has a much lower prevalence, except for Póvoa de Varzim, where bullfighting arenas have been known to exist in several areas since ca. the 18th century.
Some Portuguese municipalities have declared bullfighting “immaterial cultural heritage”, becoming members of the Section of Municipalities with Tauromachic Activities of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP); others have implicitly or explicitly refused to do so. [4]
RTP has historically shown bullfights in prime-time; the practice has been widely criticized, with left-wing parties proposing legislation to prevent bullfighting being shown on the public broadcasting network [5] or changing the rating of the show to an adults-only classification. [6] RTP ceased to broadcast bullfights since 2021. [7]
Queen Maria II of Portugal prohibited bullfighting in 1836 with the argument that it was unbefitting for a civilised nation. The ban was lifted in 1921, but in 1928 a law was passed that forbade the killing of the bull during a fight.
In 2001, matador Pedrito de Portugal controversially killed a bull at the end of a fight after spectators encouraged him to do so by chanting "Kill the bull! Kill the bull!" [8] The crowds gave Pedrito a standing ovation, hoisted him on their shoulders and paraded him through the streets. [8] Hours later the police arrested him and charged him with a fine, but they released him after crowds of angry fans surrounded the police station. [8] A long court case ensued, finally resulting in Pedrito's conviction in 2007 with a fine of €100,000. [8]
In 2002, after a national referendum, the Portuguese government gave Barrancos a dispensation from the 1928 ban. In 2014, the same exception was granted to Reguengos de Monsaraz, where a festivity featuring the killing of bulls took place every year despite the ban; the annual event was then recognised as a tradition by a Beja Court, which guaranteed access to the exception. [9]
In 2009, the northern city of Viana do Castelo prohibited bullfighting in all instances when a municipality's permit was required. [10] This decision was contested in 2012 by a Braga court and bullfighting was permitted again in the municipality.
In June 2018, the Póvoa de Varzim municipality announced a bullfighting ban starting January 1, 2019; [11] pro-bullfighting groups interceded against this prohibition and in September 2019, a court in Porto ruled that the ban was unconstitutional. [12] [13] The city of Póvoa de Varzim has approved the demolition of the Póvoa de Varzim Bullfighting Arena, its municipal bullfighting ring. [14]
In July 2018, animalist party PAN presented a proposal at the Portuguese Parliament to abolish all types of bullfighting in the country. Left-wing party Left Bloc voted in favour of the proposal but criticised its lack of solutions to the foreseen consequences of the abolition. The proposal was however categorically rejected by all other parties, that cited freedom of choice and respect for tradition as arguments against it. [15] [16]
A bullfighter 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 activity of bullfighting as practised in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, France, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and other countries influenced by Portuguese and Spanish culture. The main performer and leader of the entourage in a bullfight, and who finally kills the bull, is addressed as maestro (master), or with the formal title matador de toros. The other bullfighters in the entourage are called subalternos and their suits are embroidered in silver as opposed to the matador's gold. They include the picadores, rejoneadores, and banderilleros.
Juan Belmonte García was a Spanish bullfighter. He fought in a record number of bull fights and was responsible for changing the art of bullfighting. He had minor deformities in his legs which forced him to design new techniques and styles of bullfighting.
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 often historic and culturally significant centres that bear many structural similarities to the Roman amphitheatre.
Francisco Romero (1700–1763) was a significant Spanish matador. He reputedly introduced the famous red cape (muleta) into bullfighting in around 1726.
José Carlos Frita Falcão, known as José Falcón was a Portuguese matador whose bullfighting career spanned just over a decade. As of 2011, he was the last matador to be killed in the ring.
A forcado is a member of a group of men that performs the pega de cara or pega de caras, the final event in a typical Portuguese bullfight. The only Spanish-style bullfighting where forcados may also be present are Mexican bullfights. Forcados were initially professionals from lower classes but nowadays people from all social backgrounds practice their art through amateur groups.
The Spanish Fighting Bull is an Iberian heterogeneous cattle population. It is exclusively bred free-range on extensive estates in Spain, Portugal, France and Latin American countries where bull fighting is organized. Fighting bulls are selected primarily for a certain combination of aggression, energy, strength and stamina. In order to preserve their natural traits, during breeding the bulls rarely encounter humans, and if so, never encounter them on foot.
Agro-Velho, historically and popularly known as Nova Póvoa, is one of the eleven officially designated districts located in the Portuguese city of Póvoa de Varzim. It is a beach resort district located around Lagoa Cove.
Concepción Cintrón Verrill, also known as Conchita Cintrón or La Diosa de Oro, was a Chile-born Peruvian torera, perhaps the most famous in the history of bullfighting. In the ring Cintrón was said to display particular grace, style and bravado, a combination known as duende.
The Campo Pequeno Bullring is the current Praça de Touros of the city of Lisbon, in Portugal. It is located in Avenida da República, in Lisbon.
El Fandi is statistically one of the most skilled matadors in the world. Currently, he is ranked number one among all bullfighters in Spain.
Spanish-style bullfighting is a type of bullfighting that is practiced in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, as well as in parts of southern France and Portugal. This style of bullfighting involves a physical contest with humans attempting to publicly subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull. The most common bull used is the Spanish Fighting Bull, a type of cattle native to the Iberian Peninsula. This style of bullfighting is seen to be both a sport and performance art. The red colour of the cape is a matter of tradition – bulls are color blind. They attack moving objects; the brightly-colored cape is used to mask blood stains.
Antonio Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez is a Spanish torero or 'bullfighter'.
Touro is a bronze sculpture in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. The monument is located in an intersection, a square also popularly known as Touro, at the junction of Vasco da Gama Avenue and Repatriamento dos Poveiros Avenue.
An anti-bullfighting city is a city that formally adheres to a declaration of ethics and adopts municipal policies that do not support the practice of bullfighting within their borders and state that they are against the practice of bullfighting altogether.
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.
Póvoa de Varzim Bullfighting Arena was a bullring in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. It is located on Avenida Vasco da Gama, on the northern waterfront of the city. Bullfighting, horse shows, and concerts are held in the arena.
Tourada à corda, toirada à corda or corrida de touros à corda, is a type of bullfighting traditional to the Azores Islands, and particularly the island of Terceira, where it is believed to be one of the most ancient recreational traditions in the archipelago.
Juan José Padilla is a Spanish torero ('bullfighter'). He became a matador de toros, 'killer of (full-grown) bulls', in the town of his birth, Jerez de la Frontera, on June 18, 1994 when he was 21 years old. He was known as the 'Cyclone of Jerez' and featured heavily, both personally and professionally, in Into The Arena: The World Of The Spanish Bullfight, a shortlisted nominee for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2011.
The Vila Franca de Xira Bullring, also known as the Palha Blanco Bullring is situated in the centre of the town of Vila Franca de Xira in the municipality of the same name in the Lisbon District of Portugal. It was built in 1901, is still used and is one of the eight “First Category” bullrings in the country.
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