Legendary Bullfighters from Spain

Bullfighting was practiced by nobility as a substitute and preparation for war in the manner of hunting and jousting. Religious festivities and royal weddings were celebrated by fights in the local plaza, where noblemen would ride competing for royal favor, and the populace enjoyed the excitement. In the 18th century, the Spanish introduced the practice of fighting on foot around 1726. Francisco Romero is generally regarded as having been the first to do this. As bullfighting developed, men on foot started using capes to aide the horsemen in positioning the bulls. This type of fighting drew more attention from the crowds. Thus the modern corrida, or fight, began to take form, as riding noblemen were substituted by commoners on foot. This new style prompted the construction of dedicated bullrings, initially square, like the Plaza de Armas, and later round, to discourage the cornering of the action.

The modern style of Spanish bullfighting is credited to Juan Belmonte, generally considered the greatest bullfighter of all time. Belmonte introduced a daring and revolutionary style, in which he stayed within a few inches of the bull throughout the fight. Although extremely dangerous, Belmonte himself was gored on many occasions, his style is still seen by most bullfighters as the ideal to be emulated. Today, bullfighting remains similar to the way it was in 1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, Spain, used the estoque, a sword, to kill the bull, and the muleta, a small cape used in the last stage of the fight.

Bullfighting has always been controversial in Spain and throughout history many of the ruling and better educated classes have considered it base and barbarous. Pope Pius V issued a bill titled De Salute Gregis in November 1567 which forbade fighting of bulls and any other beasts but it was abolished eight years later by his successor, pope Gregory XIII, at the request of king Philip II.