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UPCOMING FREE ACTIVITIES
October 14, 2024

Join us on a free trip to the Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre

Each day Instituto Hemingway offers free, daily excursions to all of its students and as part of this scheme, on Monday 17th October, we will be visiting Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre, the home of bullfighting in Bilbao.

Bullfighting is a centrepiece for Spanish culture. Practiced predominantly in Spain but also in parts of Portugal and Latin America, it is a spectacle in which one or more bulls are fought by humans in a bullring. The bullfighters are known as toreros and the most senior, the individual who actually delivers the fatal blow to the bull, is called the matador. The toreros perform various formal sequences in their fight with the bull; hooking it multiple times behind the shoulders until eventually the matador delivers the killing blow.

Bullfighting traces its origins to prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean region. The first recorded bullfight dates all the way back to the Epic of Gilgamesh, widely regarded as the earliest great work of literature, but its origins are more commonly linked with the Romans. Theories suggest that it was first introduced into Hispania by the Emperor Claudius as a substitute for Gladiators. The tradition grew in popularity and was later used by colonists in Latin America.

Nowadays it is still commonly practiced in the Hispanic wold but is surrounded in controversy. While the supporters to ban bullfighting remain a minority, only 30% of Spaniards actively follow it in Spain and subsequently it is undoubtedly losing popularity. The Spanish Royal Family is divided on the issue, with previous Queen Sofia publicly showing her dislike for the tradition meanwhile her husband Juan Carlos is frequently seen at bullfighting events with his daughter Elena.

The Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre, located in the centre of Bilbao, is a first category bullring that was opened in 1882. In 1962 it was renovated into a state of the art, modern arena holding 14,781 spectators.

If you are studying at Instituto Hemingway then please feel free to join us on our visit to The Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre to learn all about the bullfighting tradition. If you are not a current student with us but are interested in our Spanish courses and the free cultural activities that we offer, then please do not hesitate to send us an email at info@institutohemingway.com.

We hope to see you soon!

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