And why not bring you back down to my beloved Spain, I had to say is the second most visited country in the world according to the UN-WTO statistics with about 85M visitors last year! And on Unesco World Heritage Sites we have Cuenca too.
However, I have written several posts on the town and surrounding, we love it there and spent several summers with the family high in the mountains of the Serrania de Cuenca. This time let me tell you a bit more on the Plaza de Toro or bullfighting arena a real tradition of Spain even if nowdays not practice in certain areas.
The Plaza de Toros of Cuenca (bullfighting arena) is located at Avenida de los Reyes Catolicos, s/n on the road out of town near the Parque de Santa Ana. It was first built in 1848 with two floors and 5,000 spaces. Later, in 1913, another enclosure was built, which lasted only a few years.
The city council built the current enclosure or arena in 1926 with the present of Santa Coloma bulls, for the right-handed Marcial Lalande, “Valencia II ” and Martín Agüero. The square, of reinforced cement, has pens, twelve stalls and the necessary dependencies to make bullfights easier. The San Julian Fair, the last week of August, comes with a fairground installed and a series of activities take place such as theater, parade of floats, bullfights, circus, etc…. In addition to a wide and varied sports program that includes an equestrian competition. As a culmination to these festivities, you will see great fireworks. We were lucky while here to see briefly the Fiesta de San Juliàn August 24th, the traditional feast of the town in honor of their patron Saint.
A bit of history I like
Cuenca had counted on three other bullrings before the current was built. The first was known as the Pintado or painting, located on the grounds occupied by the delegation of Finance of the local government, in the parque San Julián, annexed to other areas where the cinema Palmeras was.
The second arena, known as La Perdigana or, which was located on the site of what was then Cine Xúcar and Hotel. The third plaza, in the neighborhood of Casablanca, to which it was known like the one of Caballeros or knights, inaugurated in 1913, and in which they acted the torero with swords ,the first of the 20C, among them Juan Belmonte, in 1915. This square was shot down after the 1920 fair. Six years was Cuenca without bulls during the Fiestas of San Julián, occupying the bullfighting part in the Plaza Mayor, as was done annually by the fairs of San Mateo or on the occasion of some extraordinary event. On September 5, 1927, in the new bullring in Cuenca as we know it today. It is good to tell you that the first special mention was the presence of Manuel Rodríguez “Manolete” three times, in the years 1943 and 1944. One of the greatest bullfighers of all time.
The bullring of the city of Cuenca, with a century of history, will conclude its works of consolidation of the structure and waterproofing, because of the numerous humidity’s that it presents, before the next bullfighting fair, in of August 2016.
Some webpages to help you plan your trip or you can ask me are
Tourist office of Cuenca on heritage sites
Maxitoro for info in season in Spanish
Entradas Toros Cuenca for info and ticketing in Spanish
The Fairs are in summer so as the time approaches look up the site Maxitoro or Entradas Toros Cuenca, for ticket information and more on the contenders. It is an experience to live it at least once, and then some more… depending on your personal views which are many. The Plaza de Toros of Cuenca another gem to see in the historical town. Hope you enjoy the post.
And remember ,happy travels, good health;, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 