España/Spain

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The festivals and celebrations in Spain are full of life. This statement may seem superfluous to some, but it has its importance. Until a few years ago, many of our most interesting celebrations were stagnating or simply lost. The ones meant are those that still preserve a purely local or, at the most, regional character, ie., the ones that really signify a break in the life cycle of its participants and mark the passing of time much more effectively than a simple date on the calendar. Those other festive occasions whose reputation has even gone beyond our national borders chose their destiny a long time ago and hardly anything will substantially change their development.

But there are hundreds of small celebrations with ancestral rites which have been preserved for centuries and even disappeared at some point. In the autonomous and officially multiform Spain, the lack of interest and appreciation of the roots changed to new recognition and awareness of all the different expressions that compound the existence, reason and essence of the group. It is not by chance that in the last fifteen years the number of celebrations has not shrunk, but on the contrary energetically grown by recovering customs and ceremonies that had already disappeared.

The next step in a hypothetical battle for preserving, as far as possible, that sense that gave them life would be to stick closely to the traditions, to what has always been like that, removing alien traces which, in the long run, are always negative. And with regard to the visitor, the inevitable --and why not?-- welcome stranger, we expect the necessary and indispensable respect for celebrations and festivals that, apart from serving as a vehicle of communication, show the more friendly and human side of a social group and are living examples of a culture, of customs and traditions that we should be loath to lose.

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The term San Fermín has come to mean... Pamplona; bulls and bullrunning, wine groups of people united in one aim, drowsy Americans wandering around searching for the ghosts of their unknown predecessors, and people out on the streets at all hours of the day and night. In a word... Fiesta.

San Fermín is also celebrated in another place in Navarre, Lesaca, where interesting dances are held, the most important being called zubigaineko, a typical dance which takes place on the banks of the river Onín which, in time goneby, marked the boundary between two rival areas of the town who had a great deal of confrontations on this site.

San Fermín, bishop and martyr of Pamplona, preached for many years throughout Navarre, later crossing the Pyrenees to continue his evangelical work. He died and was buried in Amiens --the body then disappeared and was miraculously found six centuries later and although it was mid-winter, it is said that the trees burst into leaf and the fields were green again.

The people of La Laguna (Tenerife) give thanks to San Benito for his miraculous intervention to end the drought which was affecting the area in 1532, with a pilgrimage that takes place on the first Sunday in July. On the morning of the first Saturday of July, the locals transport the statue of the Virgen de los Reyes from its hermitage to the capital, Valverde del Hierro. They spend the entire day walking through hills and vales, crossing the island from one side to the other. The return journey is undertaken four weeks later, in fulfillment of a promise made to the Virgin in 1745 and which is repeated every four years. The last pilgrimage was made in 1989. On the 11th of this month, the feast day of the saint, there are guild dances in his honour in Allariz (Orense) and the sword dance (with the patatú, during which the execution of the chief is represented) in Obejo (Córdoba). Pilgrimages are also held with ex-voto and offerings in Cambados (Pontevedra), Padrón (La Coruña), Porriño (Pontevedra) and other places in Galicia. In Pontevedra, adorned boats cross the river Lérez to pay homage to San Benitiño.

On 13th July, in Roncal (Navarre) is the Tribute of the three cows in which the mayors of the Roncal valley and Baretous valley in France take part, the latter handing over three cows to the former in accordance with an agreement dating back to 1375 which ended all hostilities between the people of the two valleys.

Boats adorned with flags and pennants take to the sea again on 16th July to celebrate the feast of their patron saint, Virgen del Carmen.

In Cangas de Narcea (Asturias), the Society of Craftsmen fire a magnificent volley of shots just as the saint reaches the bridge. In Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara) there is an impressive procession of the brotherhood, whilst in Olot (Girona) the drac (dragon) and conill (rabbit) take part. The sailors of Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) carry their patron saint in a procession which sways its way from the church to the quayside, and in Avilés, Mieres and Pola de Siero (Asturias) the danza prima takes place.

Mary Magdalene, whose ease of manner was a little more than is necessary with certain ways about her a little freer than modesty allows, and in spite of her slatternly life, was inmediately converted on hearing Jesus and thence became one of his most fervent followers. On her feast day, 22nd July, the dancers of Anguiano (La Rioja) descend the steps of the church on stilts and then sprint down the hill in one of the most fascinating and original demonstrations in Spanish folklore. On the last Sunday in September, the dancers accompany her on the return journey to the shrine, this time going up the cobbled slope. In honour of La Magdalena, there are numerous other kinds of celebrations in other parts of Spain, but especially in Navarre, Asturias and the Basque Country.

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Summer Festivals: Moors and Christians

Starting with the feasts of the Holy Child in Valverde de Júcar (Cuenca) from 5th-9th January, and ending with the festival of the Moorish King (Rey Moro) in Agost (Alicante) on 28th December, almost one hundred and fifty celebrations of Moors and Christians

take place throughout the length and breadth of the country. The provinces of Alicante, Cuenca, Granada, Cáceres, Valencia, Saragossa, Toledo, Albacete, island of La Palma, Murcia, Huesca, Almería, Mallorca, Cádiz, Jaén, Teruel, Castellón and Orense witness these events which take the form of battles, processions, displays, speeches, plays and ancient dances. The majority are found in Alicante where the festivities become livelier and more numerous as the days pass. The most traditional are in Alcoy. In Galicia, they are performed by A. Sainza's group of mouros e cristiás in the town of Rairiz de Veiga (Orense). The dramatized version takes place above all in Granada, and more exactly amid the beautiful scenery of Las Alpujarras, whilst in Aragón the religious confrontations take the form of dances.

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San Roque is particularly well known as a protector against the plague and many of the celebrations dedicated to him originated in vows made during epidemics, especially in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

In Calatayud (Saragossa) a huge crowd gathers to watch sunrise and hear mass on the feast day of San Roque, whilst the rich aspects of folklore can be enjoyed on this date in the village of Llanes (Asturias), similar to the celebrations held on the feast of Mary Magdalene. The brotherhoods of Señor Sant Roque in Llodio (Alava) celebrate the feast with a meal in the hermitage, followed by a dance called the aurresku.

The feast of San Roque is the only day of the year in Amer (Girona) when the Batlle or Alcalde sardana is danced (a typical Catalonian dance), and only on this day the circle of dancers remains open at all times for anybody who may wish to join in. In Betanzos (La Coruña) women and sailors dance and the gira a los Caneiros takes place by crossing the river Mendo in adorned boats lit by lanterns; in the baile de los pollos (dance of the chickens) in Bronchales (Teruel) only people over 65 years of age may participate.

Among the exceptional celebrations which mark the feast of San Bartolomé on 24th August, mention must be made of the dance and speeches in Borja (Saragossa), the dances of the half-woman, half-bull or half-man, half-bull (depending on who the performers of the day are) in Montehermoso (Cáceres) and the traditional dances called Els Cossiers in Montuiri (Mallorca), considered to be the oldest on the island.

On the feast of San Agustín (28th August) there are also dances to the traditional music of tabalet i a la dolçaina in Bocairente (Valencia) and cavallets, figures with enormous heads (cabezudos) and devil figures in Felanitx (Mallorca).

On 30th August, the main festival of Villafranca del Penedés begins, which is considered to be the most typical in all Catalonia. The best song and dance groups perform in the town square, just as they do the rest of the year round in other places in Catalonia, especially in the provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona; there are also figures of devils, enormous heads, giants, the dragon, the eagle and dances accompanied by the typical music of grallers i dolçainers. Adding to this list the sardana and l'envelat (both regional dances), we get some idea of the scale of the main Catalonian festivals.

Every six years Morella celebrates its Sexanales in honour of the Virgen de Vallivana --the last were in 1988-- and these date back to 1672. The grand procession includes all kinds of figures and dances and takes place along streets adorned with brightly-coloured paper showing different motifs.

On the 6th of September, the cascamorras or cascaborras (representative of the village in traditional costume) leaves Guadix, bound for Baza (Granada) with the intention of staying perfectly clean throughout the journey in order to thus gain possession of the Virgen de la Piedad. Of course, the villagers of Baza are strongly opposed to any such idea, and so by the end of the journey the cascaborras and even many of the people who go with him, arrive in quite a state.

On the first Sunday of the month, the triennial festival in honour of the Virgen del Pino is held in El Paso (island of La Palma). The last one was in 1988 --on this date the figure of the Virgin is repositioned after being brought out on the last Sunday in August. Also, in Mota del Cuervo (Cuenca) the Virgen de Manjavacas is taken on a journey, although here this is done by so-called anderos, villagers who do not stop running between the shrine and the village, which is a distance of 7km. On the third Sunday she is returned in the same fashion.

Apart from days of a general festive nature, such as Christmas or Easter, the 8th of September is the most festive of the year. Innumerable towns and villages celebrate their patron saints on this day which makes it impossible to even list all of them. We must however make passing reference to some of
traditions: the dancers of the Virgen de la Casita in Alaejos (Valladolid); the pilgrimages of the Queen of Angels in Alájar (Huelva) and of the Virgen de Cortes in Alcaraz (Albacete); the fascinating festival of the Mother of God and Health in Algemesí (Valencia) with the muixeranga, considered to be the predecessor of the Catalonian castellers; the parade in Hondarribía (Guipúzcoa); the traditional dances in Miranda del Castañar (Salamanca), Ochagavía (Navarre), Peñíscola (Castellón) and Saldaña (Palencia); and the pine pilgrimage in Teror (Gran Canaria). At dawn on the 8th of September, the devil bursts into the festival of Tijarafe (La Palma) among explosions of powder. A young man, duly protected and covered with a harness where the fireworks have been placed, dances while bengal lights and rockets explode.

The Holy Cross is also worshipped on the 14th of September with celebrations dedicated to the Christ of Calatorao in the province of Saragossa which has an enormous following: giants, giant heads, musical groups, cavaliers, masked figures, rogues and dancing youths appear in Graus (Huesca) and dawn serenades and jesters complete the scene. Calzada de Calatrava (Ciudad Real) boasts processions of almost 3km in length in honour of Christ, the Saviour of the World on this same Sunday.

For the celebration of La Merced (24th September) giants from all over Catalonia flock to Barcelona and parade through the streets and squares of the city. On the 27th in Mieres (Asturias) the pilgrimage in honour of the Holy Martyrs of Valdecina is held, considered to be the oldest in the region. On the feast of San Miguel (29th September) the traditional paloteado is performed in Cortes (Navarre).

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Carnival/Shrovetide

In the face of those theories which bestow an outright pagan character upon Shrovetide, tracing its etimology back to the currus nevalis who used to take part in the Roman Isis Feast, the studies carried out by Julio Caro Baroja and published in his work El Carnaval (Shrovetide) led him to the conclusion that Shrovetide (Spanish Carnival) was, whether people liked it or not, the offspring (albeit a prodigal son) of Christianity. To be exact, in the absence of the concept of Lent it would not exist as it has done since the dark and distant European Middle Ages.

The most complete Shrovetide rituals would take place in Galicia, and indeed still do to a certain extent in some places. On the Septuagesimal Sunday the so-called Faraleiro (a feast involving the throwing of bran and flour) takes place. The following Thursday is given over to the men, and the Sexagesimal Sunday is known as the Corredeiro, which involves setting cocks loose to run in the streets.


Women's Thursday follows this, being known as Lardero or Gordo (Slap-up Thursday) in other parts of the country, and is characterized by lashings of food, especially meat, of which they will soon be deprived. Shrove Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (Antroido, Entroido or Antruejo) in Galician, Iñuate or Aratuste in Basque, Antruexo in Asturian and Carnestoltes in Catalan) are, in certain places, followed by the first Sunday of Lent, which finally closes this season which has already begun in some parts inmediately after Christmas.

The features common to these celebrations, which offered a period of indulgence before the fasting and penitence demanded by Lent, consist of the subversion of established order; the reading of edicts or wills containing biting criticism of local life, personality-transforming masks and disguises and, above all, permissiveness as regards behaviour which, in normal times, would be considered madness, stupidity or plain hooliganism. Furthermore, the festivities often culminate in the judgement and sentencing (normally burning) of Shrovetide, often symbolized as a straw doll.

Some of the festivities previously mentioned (the flour-caked men, the cocks, the Ugly Mugs, the Mother Sow, the Friend...) display clear Carnival features and could readily be incorporated into this group. However, for the sake of clarity, whe have kept them under their dates and here concentrate on those days which are considered as belonging specially to Shrovetide.

In Spain there are Shrovetide or rather, Carnival festivities noteworthy for their brilliance and spectacularity such as those in Cádiz, consisting of choruses, fancy-dress processions, jokes, disguises and float parade. Santa Cruz de Tenerife holds what many see as the ultimate Carnival, with its flagrant procession, Brazilian-style, fancy-dress parades, and groups of street musicians, all reaching a climax in the arena on the Tuesday.

Other Carnivals, despite their diversity, retain their local character and, it could be said, their traditionality. They do this by using characters particular to, and therefore instantly recognizable from, each Carnival. This is the case in Bielsa (Huesca) with the trangas (youths dressed in brightly coloured shirts
El Pero-Palo. Villanueva
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and s***ts, their heads and back covered with goat skins topped by an impressive set of horns) and the madamas (young girls with short s***ts with lace trimmings). Lanz (Navarra) has the Miel Otxin (a giant figure made of straw), the Ziripot (covered with hay and sackcloth) and the zaldiko or horse. Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres) boasts the Pero Palo (a rag caricature with a brightly coloured wooden face set in a dead-pan expression, dressed in black). Laza (Orense) offers os peliqueiros or cigarrons --characters dressed in a kind of fringed petticoat with babules, a jacket, cowbells, a gaudy mask, all crowned by a kind of semicircular mitre and the Morena, a man covered with a cow-hide who rushes at all those around him. Pantallas, masks typical of Xinzo de Limia (Orense), are also prominent.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of currently-held Carnivals, some of which are living their greatest moments, while others are stagingg a brave revival. This is despite the fall-off which was formerly plain to see and despite the 1937 ban. It would currently be impossible for us to list each and every Carnival in an article of this size.

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Behind most of these traditional celebrations which take place on the last day of April and the first few days of May, there is an exaltation of love and nature reborn, with songs describing the fertile land which will soon yield its harvests. The influence of Christianity on ancient rituals has brought the inclusion of statues of the Virgin Mary (for example in the mayos songs) and the cross, and many of these celebrations are now dedicated to these symbols.

The mayos usually take place on the night of April 30th, and their themes are mainly descriptive and related to love, one of most well-known verses being the following:

The last day of April is at a close
tomorrow we welcome the month of May
beautiful and bursting with flowers

although the lyrics vary considerably from one region to another. This is a typical custom in the region of Castile-La Mancha more than any other: first the mayos are offered to the Virgin Mary and then all the male participants parade in front of the young single girls or go to their houses where a cross has been dressed, ie., adorned. This continues for the first few days of May although there are places where it lasts for a whole month.

The term mayos also refers to the frames made in different parts of Galicia which are usually conical or in the shape of a cross and are adorned with fruit and vegetables. In Orense, Pontevedra, Villagarcía de Arosa (Pontevedra) and other places, competitions are held in which young men take part, having to go round and round the maio, singing satirical songs whilst they strike the ground with a stick.

Another important date is the 3rd of the month, when an integral part of the festival takes place: the exaltation of the Holy Cross. Crosses are decorated and usually placed in the houses where for a whole month they dominate not only family life but also that of the whole village. Some of these crosses are magnificent works of art, not to mention patience and they are made by the women of the household, who, helped by friends and neighbours, dress the cross, taking several months to complete the task and using all their savings. Families sing, eat and pray and dance around their cross, exchanging advice and experiences which are handed down from generation to generation. The towns and villages of Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha in particular are famed for this type of long-established ritual in the household. In Córdoba, the festival of patios and May crosses competition are held in the first fortnight of May.

Inspired by the giving of the Holy Cross to Santa Elena, popular plays are put on in Corte de Peleas and Feria, both in the province of Badajoz. In Feria, this tradition was revived some years ago and the most important features are the serious heartfelt songs sung by choirs describing the outline of the play in progress.

The eucharistic play of the Sacrifice of Isaac is also performed in Laza (Orense) although perhaps the most interesting part of the festival is when the mayo is collected by the young men of the village on the eve of the Holy Cross. The mayo which must be the tallest and straightest tree in the area as well as having beautifully neat foliage, is planted in many places in Spain and it signifies the heart of both these spring-time festivals and others which are held on different dates but which include the tree. In Laza, on May 2nd, the young men kidnap the girl who has been chosen to play the role of Eve, so that nobody knows who she is, and on the following day, the dancers and whoever is playing Adam have to find her, whith everybody joining in the procession.

Another widespread activity around these dates are festive pilgrimages during which the fields and the water which irrigates them are blessed, and a crucifix or statue placed on some sites. The feasts of San Miguel (8th) and San Isidro (15th) are celebrated in this way with pilgrimages to the countryside, competitions, games, dances and meals, although many of these have been moved to the nearest weekend to the saints' days.

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Marbella

Marbella is a city in Andalusia, Spain, by the Mediterranean, situated in between Malaga and Gibraltar, beneath the Sierra Blanca. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234.

Marbella is one of the most important beach resorts of the Costa del Sol, and a large part of the year it is very sunny here. Very many hotels and tourist apartments have been built in the area of Marbella, and especially wealthy tourists spend their holidays here.

For people who like water sports, golf and other sports, Marbella has excellent facilities.

It is easy to reach other places, like Malaga and Algeciras, by bus. There is a bus line along the coast. The airport of Malaga is easy to reach by bus as well.


History of Marbella
In the mountains around Marbella, archaeological excavations have been made, which point at human habitation in Paleolithic and Neolithic times. There are also remains of Phoenician and later Carthaginensian settlements in the area of Rio Real. In Roman times, the city was called Salduba

During Islamic rule, the muslims built a castle in this city, and they surrounded it by walls. The name Marbella, which is derived from Marbil-la, dates from this Islamic era. In 1485, the Spaniards reconquered the city, and during the centuries that followed, the city grew.


Sights in and around Marbella
Arabian wall
Bonsai museum
Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo
Old city centre
Playa de la Bajadilla (beach)
Playa de Fontanilla (beach)

You can watch it by satelite : marbella.to/satellite.htm

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Ibiza

Eivissa or Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea, and belonging to Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Illes Pitiüses. Major cities are Ibiza Town, Santa Eulària des Riu and San Antonio.

Its official Catalan name is Eivissa; Ibiza is the Spanish name, now less used in Spain itself, though still dominant among speakers of English.


History
In 654 BCE Phoenician settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim, later known to Romans (as "Ebusus") for its wine, marble, and lead. The Greeks who came to Ibiza during the time of the Phoenicians were the first to call the two islands of Ibiza and Formentera the Pitiusas ("pine-covered islands"). With the decline of Phoenicia after the Assyrian invasions, Ibiza came under the umbrella of Carthage, also a former Phoenician colony. The island produced dye, salt, fish sauce (garum), and wool. A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Cuyram, and the rest of the Balearic Islands entered Eivissa's commercial orbit after 400 BCE. Ibiza was a major trading post along the Mediterranean routes. Iberia began setting up its own trading stations along the nearby Balearic island of Mallorca, from which great quantities of the reknowned Balearic slingers were hired as mercenaries for the diverse wars Carthage was fighting. During the Second Punic War the island was assaulted by the two Scipio brothers [209 BCE] but remained loyal to Carthage. With Carthaginian military luck running out on the Iberian mainland, Ibiza was last used by the fleeing Carthaginian General Mago to gather supplies and men before sailing to Menorca and then to Liguria. Ibiza managed to negotiate a favorable treaty with the Romans, who spared Ibiza from further destruction and allowed it to survive with its Carthaginian-Punic institutions well into the Empire days, when it became an official Roman municipality. This survival made Ibiza an excellent place to study Carthaginian-Punic civilization in later years, but also turned the island into a sleepy imperial outpost as it became more and more detached from the important trading routes of the time.

Tourism
Eivissa is a very popular tourist destination, especially due to its legendary riotous nightlife (mainly in Ibiza Town, the island's capital on the eastern shore). The most famous clubs include Privilege (the world's largest club which holds the weekly event known worldwide as Manumission on Monday nights), Es Paradis (famous for its water parties), Amnesia (famous for its foam parties and what goes on there), Space (opens at around 8AM) and Pacha. Ibiza is also famous for Café del Mar, a chill spot in Sant Antoni where many people watch the sunset every night.


Music
There also exists a genre of trance music named for Ibiza, similarly to the way Goa trance is named for Goa, India. The style tries to reflect the atmosphere of Ibiza, and listeners often say they can see a Mediterranian sunset when they hear its euphoric, uplifting melodies. The atmosphere is brought on with the use of synthesized string instruments, the sound of waves, mandolins and guitars, and wispy vocals. Popular tracks in this genre include:

Seven Cities by Solar Stone

Offshore by Chicane
Sunset on Ibiza by DJ Tiesto
Paul Oakenfold also has an influence on this genre. Lisa Lashes also has an influence on this genre. Lisa Lashes is a huge Ibiza DJ, with her "Lashed" tour playing a major part.

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flamenco, Spanish music and dance typical of the Gypsy, or gitano. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colorful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado) and clapping of the hands (palmada) its execution is brilliant, noisy, and passionate. Flamenco music is believed to have originated in the early 19th cent. from the canto hondo [Sp.,=deep song] of Andalusia, a highly emotional and tragic type of song accompanied by a guitar. By the mid-19th cent. flamenco had become a generally popular entertainment form, and it subsequently flourished, both in its pure form and with the addition of elements from ballet, folk music, jazz, and other forms. Among the most notable flamenco dancers have been La Argentina (d. 1936) Vicente Escudero, La Argentinita (1898–1945), Carmen Amaya (1913–63)José Greco, Antonio (“El Bailarín”) Ruiz Soler (1921–96), and El Farruco (1936–97) and his grandson, Juan Manuel (“El Farruquito”) Fernández (1982–)

Flamenco is a song, music and dance style which is strongly influenced by the Gitanos, but which has its deeper roots in Moorish musical traditions.

Flamenco culture originated in Andalusia (Spain), but has since become one of the icons of Spanish music and even Spanish culture in general.

The word Flamenco in Spanish originally meant Flemish. It is supposed that during the Flemish kingdom of Karel V (Carlos I in Spain) some kind of popular confusion between flemish and gypsy culture led the people to use that word for the gypsy music.

"Nuevo Flamenco", or New Flamenco, is a recent variant of Flamenco which has been influenced by modern musical genres, like rumba, salsa, pop, rock and jazz.

Originally, flamenco consisted of unaccompanied singing (cante). Later the songs were accompanied by flamenco guitar (toque) rhythmic hand clapping (palmas) rhythmic feet stamping and dance (baile) The toque and baile are also often found without the cante, although the song remains at the heart of the flamenco tradition. More recently other instruments like the cajón (a wooden box used as a percussion instrument) and castanets (castañuelas) have been introduced.

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Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, Spain, a region in northeastern Spain (41°23′ N 2°11′ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=41_23_N_2_11_E_type:city(1,582,73 8)_region:ES)). It is in the comarca of Barcelonès. It is also the largest city of Spain after Madrid. Barcelona is located on the Mediterranean coast, between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, 160 km south of the Pyrenees mountain range, the border with France. Population of the city of Barcelona proper was 1,583,000 as of 2003 estimates. Population of the urban area was 4,042,000 as of 2000 estimates. Population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 4,667,000 as of 2003 estimates. The mayor of Barcelona is Joan Clos.

Tourist attractions

Barcelona offers a unique opportunity for the tourist on foot to walk from Roman remains to the medieval city, and then to the modern city with its open thoroughfares and grid-iron street pattern. The historic city center is fairly flat, while the modern city fans out towards the surrounding hills, bordered by steep streets that are vaguely reminiscent of those found in San Francisco.

Outstanding is the legacy of architect Antoni Gaudí, who lived and worked in Barcelona, and who left several famous works like the Palau Güell in the city's old center, the Parc Güell at the northern tip of Gràcia, and the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, financed by popular donations like the cathedrals in the Middle Ages (However, it is not a cathedral: the cathedral of Barcelona is the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia, a Gothic building of the late Middle Ages). The Sagrada Família is billed for completion in 2020.

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گاو دوانی در اسپانيا

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Bullfighting or tauromachy (Spanish toreo, corrida de toros or tauromaquia; Portuguese tourada, corrida de touros or tauromaquia) is a tradition that involves professional performers (in Spanish toreros or matadores, in Portuguese toureiros) who execute various formal moves with the goal of appearing graceful and confident, while masterful over the bull itself. Such manoeuvers are performed at close range, and conclude (in Spanish-style bullfighting) with the death of the bull by a well-placed sword thrust as the finale. In Portugal the finale consists of a tradition called the pega, where men (Forcados) are dressed in a traditional costume of damask or velvet, with long knit hats as worn by the famous Ribatejo campinos (bull headers).

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Bullfighting generates heated controversy in many areas of the world, including Spain, where the "classic" bullfighting was born. Supporters of bullfighting argue that it is a culturally important tradition, while animal rights groups condemn it as a blood sport because of the suffering of the bull and horses during the bullfight.

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Bullfighting traces its roots to prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice. The killing of the sacred bull (tauromachy) is the essential central iconic act of Mithras, which was commemorated in the mithraeum wherever Roman soldiers were stationed. Many of the oldest bullrings in Spain are located on the sites of, or adjacent to the locations of temples to Mithras.

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Bullfighting is often linked to ancient Rome where, when many human-versus-animal events were held as a warm-up for gladiatorial sports. Alternatively, it may have been introduced into Hispania by the Moors in the 11th century, although there are theories that it was introduced into Hispania a millennium earlier by the Emperor Claudius when he instituted a short-lived ban on gladiatorial games, as a substitute for those combats. The latter theory was supported by Robert Graves. In its original Moorish and early Iberian form, the bull was fought from horseback using a javelin. (Picadors are the remnants of this tradition, but their role in the contest is now a relatively minor one limited to "preparing" the bull for the matador.) Bullfighting spread from Spain to its Central and South American colonies, and in the 19th century to France, where it developed into a distinctive form in its own right.

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Plaza de Acho in Lima, Peru - the oldest bullring in South America, dating back to 1766 Another belief is that bullfighting as is in present times has its roots based largely in wars that occurred between Iberians and Moors. As history has it,[citation needed] a common war strategy of the Moors was to set fire to the tails of bulls which would cause the herd to stampede into opposing armies in a frenzy. This tactic on the part of the Moors created a need to devise a way of overcoming the oncoming stampede on the part of the Iberian peninsula's previous inhabitants. According to this theory,[citation needed] what we see today in modern bullfighting: swords, horses, Spanish style, muletas, facing the bull without weapons as is seen in Portugal's forcados, etc., was born from the necessity of survival in battles against the Moors.

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French ethnologist Dominique Aubier considers according to an epistemological study that there is no relationship between the Spanish bullfight and either Greek sacrifice (a ritualistic agricultural celebration) or Roman gladiators. She sees the corrida as arising from a Paleolithic hunting tradition, and considers the theory of a so-called Arabic introduction of the corrida in Spain to be an 'extravagance'.

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Mithras killing a bull.Bullfighting was practiced by nobility as a substitute and preparation of war, in the manner of hunting and jousting. Religious festivities, royal weddings were celebrated by fights in the local plaza, where noblemen would ride competing for royal favor and the populace enjoyed the excitement. In the 18th century, the Spanish introduced the practice of fighting on foot, Francisco Romero generally being regarded as having been the first to do this, about 1726.

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As bullfighting develohttpped, men on foot started using capes to aide the horsemen in positioning the bulls. This type of fighting drew more attention from the crowds, thus the modern corrida, or fight, began to take form, as riding noblemen were substituted by commoners on foot. This new style prompted the construction of dedicated bullrings, initially square like the plaza de armas, later round, to discourage the cornering of the action. The modern style of Spanish bullfighting is credited to Juan Belmonte, generally considered the greatest matador of all time. Belmonte introduced a daring and revolutionary style, in which he stays within a few inches of the bull throughout the fight.

Although extremely dangerous (Belmonte himself was gored on many occasions), his style is still seen by most matadors as the ideal to be emulated. Today, bullfighting remains similar to the way it was in 1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, Spain, used the estoque, a sword to kill the bull, and the muleta, a small cape used in the last stage of the fight.


Spanish-style bullfighting is called a corrida de toros or fiesta brava. In traditional corrida, three toreros, or matadores, each fight two bulls, each of which is at least four years old and weighs 460-600 kg. Each matador has six assistants — two picadores ("lancers") mounted on horseback, three banderilleros ("flagmen"), and a mozo de espada ("sword servant"). Collectively they comprise a cuadrilla or team of bullfighters.

The modern corrida is highly ritualized, with three distinct parts or tercios, start of each announced by a trumpet sound. The participants first enter the arena in a parade to salute the presiding dignitary, accompanied by band music. Torero costumes are inspired by 18th century Andalusian clothing, and matadores are easily distinguished by their spectacular "suit of lights" (traje de luces).

Next, the bull enters the ring to be tested for ferocity by the matador and banderilleros with the magenta and gold capote, or dress cape.

In the first stage, the tercio de varas ("the third of lancing"), the matador first confronts the bull and observes his behavior in an initial section called suerte de capote. Next, two picadores enter the arena on horseback, each armed with a lance or varas. The picador stabs a mound of muscle on the bull's neck, which lowers its blood pressure, so that the enraged bull does not have a heart attack. The bull's charging and trying to lift the picador's horse with its neck muscles also weakens its massive neck and muscles.

In the next stage, the tercio de banderillas ("the third of banderillas"), the three banderilleros each attempt to plant two barbed sticks (called banderillas) on the bull's flanks. These further weaken the enormous ridges of neck and shoulder muscle through loss of blood, while also frequently spurring the bull into making more ferocious charges.

In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("the third of death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape (muleta) and a sword. He uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes, both demonstrating his control over it and risking his life by getting especially close to it. The faena ("work") is the entire performance with the muleta, which is usually broken down into a series of "tandas" or "series". The faena ends with a final series of passes in which the matador with a muleta attempts to manoeuvre the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the aorta or heart. The act of thrusting the sword is called an estocada.