Page 43 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

A POR TR AIT OF SP AIN  41

The Bullring Key
The corrida audience is seated Tendidos
in the tendidos (stalls) or in the Palcos
palcos (balcony), where the
presidencia (president’s box) is Presidencia
situated. Opposite are the puerta Puerta de cuadrillas
de cuadrillas, through which the Arrastre de toros
matador and team arrive, and
the arrastre de toros (exit for Callejón
bulls). Before entering the ring, Barreras
the matadors wait in a corridor Burladeros
(callejón) behind barreras and Patio de caballos
burladeros (barriers). Horses are
kept in the patio de caballos Corrales
and the bulls in the corrales. Plan of a typical bullring

Manolete is regarded
by most followers of
bullfighting as one of the
greatest matadors ever.
He was eventually gored
to death by the bull Islero
at Linares, Jaén, in 1947.

The passes are made with
a muleta, a cape stiffened
along one side.

José Tomás is one of Spain’s
The bull may go free if it
shows courage – spectators leading matadors today. He is
wave white handkerchiefs, famous for his purist approach
asking the corrida president and for his natural and elegant
to let it leave the ring alive. style with both the capa and the muleta.
The bull weighs
about 500 kg
(1,100 lbs).

Banderilleros enter to provoke The matador makes passes The estocada recibiendo is
the wounded bull in the tercio with the cape in the tercio de a difficult kill, rarely seen. The
de banderillas, sticking pairs of muleta, then lowers it and matador awaits the bull’s charge
banderillas in its back. thrusts in the sword for the kill. rather than moving to meet it.

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