PLAZA DE TOROS DE LA REAL MAESTRANZA (THE BULLRING)

The history of Seville, like that of Spain, is steeped in an inevitable religious climate. It's hardly surprising, then, that bullfighting in Andalusia has always been associated with brotherhoods. In 1670, the Hermandad de la Maestranza was founded in Seville, bringing together members of ancient brotherhoods. It became the Real Maestranza in 1733, when Infante Philippe de Bourbon became a member, and it is this institution that owns the city's bullring. The 12,000-seat Maestranza is of exceptional beauty. With its ochre sand from the Alcalá de Guadaira quarries and its 116 balconies, everything contributes to making the bullfight a success. The main façade faces the Guadalquivir, and it's through the Prince's Gate that the bullfighters who triumph here exit. During the ferias de Abril and the feria de San Miguel (in September), Sevillians go to the bullring with nobility and majesty, in the same way as we go to the theater. Entering the bullring is already a spectacle when you think of certain arenas where spectators wear only a bathing suit to take part in the famous bullfighting pool..

The visit begins with a tour of the "Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla"bullring. The bullring is one of the city's most visited monuments. Designed by Vincente San Martín in a post-Baroque style with neo-classical leanings, they were built between the ^18th and ^19th centuries. Construction began in 1761 and was completed 120 years later. The site was already occupied by ruins, which explains the irregular appearance of the Ruedo (the arena itself), which is neither a circle nor a perfect oval. The greatest names in bullfighting have fought here, and will continue to do so as long as the tradition lives on. The bullring can accommodate up to 14,000 spectators. The bullfighting season opens in April and closes at the end of September. Of particular note is the Palco del Príncipe, the box reserved exclusively for the royal family. This architectural ensemble was designed by Cayetano de Acosta (1765).

The museum is located under the bleachers. It traces the history of bullfighting in Spain, through a collection of works of art, as well as its evolution over the centuries. It comprises four rooms: the first is devoted to the Corporation and its relationship with the bullfighting festival; the second, dedicated to the ^19th century, features scenes from the different phases of bullfighting; the third is devoted to the ^20th century and the golden age of this "art" (with Juan Belmonte y Roselito and El Gallo); and the last displays accessories (clothes, utensils, capes, bronzes and posters). The Maestranza's painting room houses a collection of oil paintings from the ^18th, ^19th and ^20th centuries, with a bullfighting theme. Among the artists on display are Gutiérrez de la Vega, Eugenio Lucas and Domínguez Bécquer, as well as watercolours, lithographs and engravings from the ^18th and ^19th centuries, and the earliest known representation of a bullfighting scene, Corrida à cheval by J. Stradan, dating from 1578. Last but not least, twelve engravings by Goya, produced in 1876, are not to be missed.

Outside, a statue is dedicated to Carmen "la Cigarrera" (in the square beside the bullring), an employee of the Real Fábrica de Tabacos (now the University) who, according to Mérimée and Bizet, was murdered by her former lover José, just as her beloved toreador Escamillo was triumphing in the bullring. Whether you're a fan of bullfighting or not, this is a very interesting visit that gives you a better understanding of the Sevillian craze. Highly recommended.