1 Day in Madrid: Royal Gems & Art Splendors

The bullring of Madrid's Las Ventas is renovated with red brick walls and is decorated with fine Arabic carvings and semi-curved windows, and is a good example of Neo-Mudejar architecture typical of the Iberian Peninsula. This is a high-level bullfighting venue in Spain, and bullfighters from all over the country and the world are proud of their bullfighting performances. The bullring, located in the Salamanca district of central Madrid, was completed in 1929 and opened on June 17, 1931. Bullring Building The bullring is about 65 meters in diameter and has four floors. It can accommodate about 23,000 spectators. It is the largest bullring in Spain and is very magnificent. Bullfighting is a traditional national skill in Spain. Every year from the end of March to the beginning of October is the bullfighting season in Madrid. There are bullfighting performances every Sunday. Among them, the San Isidro Bullfighting Festival in May is of high level, and various matadors will gather. Therefore, the scene is lively, and the seats are often packed. During bullfighting season, you can see flags flying over the gatehouses of Madrid's bullring, which indicates that there will be bullfights. The visit starts from the main entrance of the bullring. There are 18 gates in the bullring in Madrid. The main entrance is tall and majestic. The brick walls are decorated with mosaics of the provincial emblems of the Spanish provinces. . Standing on the high-level auditorium of the bullring, you can clearly see the layout of the entire bullring. The circular bullring is surrounded by layers of iron fences to prevent the bulls from jumping into the auditorium. There are two gates. For the matador in danger to escape, there are several gates on the inside of the bullring, which are used for matadors, medical staff, bulls, and cleaning staff to get on and off the field. Afterwards, you can visit the bullring in person. The bullring, which resembles the Colosseum, is paved with fine sand, which quickly absorbs blood, sweat and rain. This is the main "battlefield" of bullfighting performances. Each bullfight is generally 3 groups of matadors and 6 bulls confrontation. The duration of each fight is 20-30 minutes. The matador's assistant (peon) teases the bulls with a red cape. , the picador took the opportunity to stab the spear into the shoulder of the bull, and the banderillero rushed directly to the bull, stabbing its neck, and the main torero and the bull were one-on-one. Duel, kill the bull with one sword. Bullfighting Museum At present, bullfighting is very controversial in Spain. Some people think it is an art of death, courage and performance. Opponents believe that it is a kind of cruel slaughter and torture. Parts of Spain (such as Barcelona) have banned bullfighting. sports. After the visit, you can leave from the small gate where the bullfighters enter the stadium. At the exit is the Bullfighting Museum, which can be visited inside. The exhibition hall is divided into 5 parts, showing the history of bullfighting in Spain and the art of bullfighting. In the promenade, you can also admire Goya's depiction of the bullfight scene.