Alcochete ( Portuguese pronunciation: [alkuˈʃetɨ] ) is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,569, in an area of 128.36 km². The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in Setúbal District .
81-633: Alcochete is known for its bullfighting tradition and its proximity to the second-longest bridge in Europe , the Vasco da Gama Bridge . The actual site of present-day Alcochete was already occupied during Roman times with a clay production facility. Its name is thought to derive from the Arabic word for oven for reasons not yet understood. It became a vacation site preferred by the Portuguese royalty and
162-515: A bull , usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms which involve dancing around or leaping over a cow or bull or attempting to grasp an object tied to the animal's horns. The best-known form of bullfighting is Spanish-style bullfighting , practiced in Spain , Portugal , Southern France , Mexico , Ecuador , Venezuela , and Peru . In Colombia it has been outlawed but
243-468: A cuadrilla (entourage). In Spanish the more general torero or diestro (literally 'right-hander') is used for the lead fighter, and only when needed to distinguish a man is the full title matador de toros used; in English, "matador" is generally used for the bullfighter. The modern corrida is highly ritualized, with three distinct stages or tercios ("thirds"); the start of each being announced by
324-423: A vara (lance). To protect the horse from the bull's horns, the animal wears a protective, padded covering called peto . Prior to 1930, the horses did not wear any protection. Often the bull would disembowel the horse during this stage. Until the use of protection was instituted, the number of horses killed during a fiesta generally exceeded the number of bulls killed. At this point, the picador stabs just behind
405-431: A bugle sound. The participants enter the arena in a parade, called the paseíllo , to salute the presiding dignitary, accompanied by band music. Torero costumes are inspired by 17th-century Andalusian clothing, and matadores are easily distinguished by the gold of their traje de luces ("suit of lights"), as opposed to the lesser banderilleros, who are also known as toreros de plata ("bullfighters of silver"). The bull
486-524: A bull in Zaragoza, resulting in the loss of his left eye, use of his right ear, and facial paralysis. He returned to bullfighting five months later with an eyepatch, multiple titanium plates in his skull, and the nickname 'The Pirate'. Until the early twentieth century, the horses were unprotected and were commonly gored and killed, or left close to death (intestines destroyed, for example). The horses used were old and worn-out, with little value. Starting in
567-549: A bull is led on a rope along a street, while players taunt and dodge the bull, who is not killed during or after the fight, but returned to pasture and used in later events. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) ceased to broadcast bullfights in Portugal since 2021. Since the 19th century, Spanish-style corridas have been increasingly popular in Southern France where they enjoy legal protection in areas where there
648-411: A certain shape or position to facilitate grass-cutting. Headstones of granite , marble and other kinds of stone are usually created, installed, and repaired by monumental masons . Cemeteries require regular inspection and maintenance, as stones may settle, topple and, on rare occasions, fall and injure people; or graves may simply become overgrown and their markers lost or vandalised . Restoration
729-510: A chapel where a matador can pray before the corrida , and where a priest can be found in case a sacrament is needed. The most relevant sacrament is now called " Anointing of the Sick "; it was formerly known as "Extreme Unction", or the "Last Rites". The media often reports the more horrific of bullfighting injuries, such as the September 2011 goring of matador Juan José Padilla 's head by
810-636: A closed arena where a single fighter on horseback was armed with a lance. This spectacle was said to be enjoyed by Charlemagne , Alfonso X the Wise and the Almohad caliphs , among others. The greatest Spanish performer of this art is said to have been the knight El Cid . According to a chronicle of the time, in 1128 "... when Alfonso VII of León and Castile married Berengaria of Barcelona daughter of Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona at Saldaña among other celebrations, there were also bullfights." In
891-414: A community. Some gravestones were even commissioned and erected to their own memory by people who were still living, as a testament to their wealth and status. In a Christian context , the very wealthy often erected elaborate memorials within churches rather than having simply external gravestones. Crematoria frequently offer similar alternatives to families who do not have a grave to mark, but who want
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#1732780100669972-400: A dance of passes, or faena . The matador will often try to enhance the drama of the dance by bringing the bull's horns especially close to his body. The faena refers to the entire performance with the muleta. The faena is usually broken down into tandas , or "series", of passes. The faena ends with a final series of passes in which the matador, using the cape, tries to maneuver the bull into
1053-532: A deeply ingrained, integral part of their national cultures ; in Spain, bullfighting is nicknamed la fiesta nacional ("the national fiesta"). The aesthetic of bullfighting is based on the interaction of the man and the bull. Rather than a competitive sport, the bullfight is more of a ritual of ancient origin, which is judged by aficionados based on artistic impression and command. American author Ernest Hemingway wrote of it in his 1932 non-fiction book Death in
1134-448: A discreet reference code as well to help accurately fix the location for maintenance. The cemetery owner, church, or, as in the UK , national guidelines might encourage the use of 'tasteful' and accurate wording in inscriptions. The placement of inscriptions is traditionally placed on the forward-facing side of the memorial but can also be seen in some cases on the reverse and around the edges of
1215-460: A focus for their mourning and for remembrance . Carved or cast commemorative plaques inside the crematorium for example may serve this purpose. A cemetery may follow national codes of practice or independently prescribe the size and use of certain materials, especially in a conservation area. Some may limit the placing of a wooden memorial to six months after burial, after which a more permanent memorial must be placed. Others may require stones of
1296-402: A gravestone was the stone slab (or ledger stone ) that was laid flat over a grave . Now, all three terms ("stele", "tombstone" or "gravestone") are also used for markers set (usually upright) at the head of the grave. Some graves in the 18th century also contained footstones to demarcate the foot end of the grave. This sometimes developed into full kerb sets that marked the whole perimeter of
1377-495: A headstone may settle or its fixings weaken. After several instances where unstable stones have fallen in dangerous circumstances, some burial authorities "topple test" headstones by firm pressure to check for stability. They may then tape them off or flatten them. This procedure has proved controversial in the UK, where an authority's duty of care to protect visitors is complicated because it often does not have any ownership rights over
1458-414: A number of members of the same family. In the 19th century, headstone styles became very diverse, ranging from plain to highly decorated, and often using crosses on a base or other shapes differing from the traditional slab. By this time popular designs were shifting from symbols of death like Winged heads and Skulls to Urns and Willow trees. Marble also became overwhelmingly popular as a grave material during
1539-454: A period of about 15–20 minutes, the raseteurs compete to snatch rosettes ( cocarde ) tied between the bulls' horns. They do not take the rosette with their bare hands but with a claw-shaped metal instrument called a raset or crochet ( hook ) in their hands, hence their name. Afterward, the bulls are herded back to their pen by gardians (Camarguais cowboys ) in a bandido , amidst a great deal of ceremony. The stars of these spectacles are
1620-446: A position to stab it between the shoulder blades going over the horns and thus exposing his own body to the bull. The sword is called estoque, and the act of thrusting the sword is called an estocada . During the initial series, while the matador in part is performing for the crowd, he uses a fake sword ( estoque simulado ). This is made of wood or aluminum, making it lighter and much easier to handle. The estoque de verdad (real sword)
1701-679: A short-lived ban on gladiatorial combat. The latter theory was supported by Robert Graves ( picadors are related to warriors who wielded the javelin , but their role in the contest is now a minor one limited to "preparing" the bull for the matador.) Spanish colonists took the practice of breeding cattle and bullfighting to the American colonies, the Pacific, and Asia. In the 19th century, areas of southern and southwestern France adopted bullfighting, developing their distinctive form. Religious festivities and royal weddings were celebrated by fights in
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#17327801006691782-613: A stone. In addition, before laying a stone flat, it must be recorded for posterity. Gravestone cleaning is a practice that both professionals and volunteers can do to preserve gravestones and increase their life spans. Before cleaning any gravestones, permission must be given to the cleaner by a "descendant, the sexton , cemetery superintendent or the town, in that order. If unsure who to ask, go to your town cemetery keeper and inquire." A gravestone can be cleaned to remove human vandalism and graffiti, biological growth such as algae or lichen , and other minerals, soiling, or staining. One of
1863-529: Is a specialized job for a monumental mason . Even overgrowth removal requires care to avoid damaging the carving. For example, ivy should only be cut at the base roots and left to naturally die off, never pulled off forcefully. Many materials have been used as markers. Markers sometimes bear inscriptions . The information on the headstone generally includes the name of the deceased and their date of birth and death. Such information can be useful to genealogists and local historians . Larger cemeteries may require
1944-711: Is an uninterrupted tradition of such bull fights, particularly during holidays such as Whitsun or Easter . Among France's most important venues for bullfighting are the ancient Roman arenas of Nîmes and Arles , although there are bull rings across the South from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic coasts. Bullfights of this kind follow the Spanish tradition and even Spanish words are used for all Bullfighting related terms. Minor cosmetic differences exist such as music. This
2025-402: Is being phased out with a full ban coming in effect in 2027. The Spanish Fighting Bull is bred for its aggression and physique, and is raised free-range with little human contact. The practice of bullfighting is controversial because of a range of concerns including animal welfare, funding, and religion. While some forms are considered a blood sport , in some countries, for example Spain, it
2106-418: Is dead. If the matador has performed particularly well, the crowd may petition the president by waving white handkerchiefs to award the matador an ear of the bull. If his performance was exceptional, the president will award two ears. In certain more rural rings, the practice includes an award of the bull's tail. Very rarely, if the public and the matador believe that the bull has fought extremely bravely – and
2187-520: Is defined as an art form or cultural event, and local regulations define it as a cultural event or heritage. Bullfighting is illegal in most countries, but remains legal in most areas of Spain and Portugal , as well as in some Hispanic American countries and some parts of southern France . Bullfighting traces its roots to prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean region. The first recorded bullfight may be
2268-520: Is illegible after about a hundred years... For those of you who seek a degree of immortality , a slate headstone, or as a second choice, one carved from an Irish limestone, should ensure that your name will remain on view for several centuries to come! The choice of language and/or script on gravestones has been studied by sociolinguists as indicators of language choices and language loyalty. For example, by studying cemeteries used by immigrant communities, some languages were found to be carved "long after
2349-411: Is made out of steel. At the end of the tercio de muerte , when the matador has finished his faena, he will change swords to take up the steel one. He performs the estocada with the intent of piercing the heart or aorta, or severing other major blood vessels to induce a quick death if all goes according to plan. Often this does not happen and repeated efforts must be made to bring the bull down, sometimes
2430-547: Is not to be confused with the bloodless bullfights referred to below which are indigenous to France. A more indigenous genre of bullfighting is widely common in the Provence and Languedoc areas, and is known alternately as " course libre " or " course camarguaise ". This is a bloodless spectacle (for the bulls) in which the objective is to snatch a rosette from the head of a young bull. The participants, or raseteurs , begin training in their early teens against young bulls from
2511-400: Is released into the ring, where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and banderilleros with the magenta and gold capote ("cape"). This is the first stage, the tercio de varas ("the lancing third"). The matador confronts the bull with the capote, performing a series of passes and observing the behavior and quirks of the bull. Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with
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2592-402: Is still seen by most matadors as the ideal to be emulated. Originally, at least five distinct regional styles of bullfighting were practised in southwestern Europe: Andalusia , Aragon – Navarre , Alentejo , Camargue , Aquitaine . Over time, these have evolved more or less into standardized national forms mentioned below. The "classic" style of bullfighting, in which the rule is kill
2673-422: Is usually no doubt about the outcome, the bull is not viewed by bullfighting supporters as a sacrificial victim — it is instead seen by the audience as a worthy adversary, deserving of respect in its own right. Those who oppose bullfighting maintain that the practice is a sadistic tradition of torturing and killing a bull amidst pomp and pageantry. Supporters of bullfights, called " aficionados ", claim to respect
2754-603: The Epic of Gilgamesh , which describes a scene in which Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought and killed the Bull of Heaven ("The Bull seemed indestructible, for hours they fought, till Gilgamesh dancing in front of the Bull, lured it with his tunic and bright weapons, and Enkidu thrust his sword, deep into the Bull's neck, and killed it"). Bull-leaping was portrayed in Crete and myths related to bulls throughout Greece. The cosmic connotations of
2835-475: The Plaza de Armas , and 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 stayed within a few centimeters of the bull throughout the fight. Although extremely dangerous (Belmonte was gored on many occasions), his style
2916-517: The Camargue region of Provence before graduating to regular contests held principally in Arles and Nîmes but also in other Provençal and Languedoc towns and villages. Before the course , an abrivado —a "running" of the bulls in the streets—takes place, in which young men compete to outrun the charging bulls. The course itself takes place in a small (often portable) arena erected in a town square. For
2997-566: The Valencian Community and Southern Catalonia ). Balls of flammable material are attached to a bull's horns. The balls are lit and the bull is set free in the streets at night; participants dodge the bull when it comes close. It can be considered a variant of an encierro ( correbous in Catalan). This activity is held in a number of Spanish towns during their local festivals . Most Portuguese bullfights are held in two phases:
3078-453: The acrostic message "KFC tortures birds". The group placed its grave marker to promote its contention that KFC is cruel to chickens. Gravestones may be simple upright slabs with semi-circular, rounded, gabled, pointed-arched, pedimental, square or other shaped tops. During the 18th century, they were often decorated with memento mori (symbolic reminders of death ) such as skulls or winged skulls, winged cherub heads, heavenly crowns, or
3159-555: The cave painting El toro de hachos , both found in Spain. Bullfighting is often linked to Rome , where many human-versus-animal events were held as competition and entertainment, the Venationes . These hunting games spread to Africa , Asia , and Europe during Roman times. There are also theories that it was introduced into Hispania by the Emperor Claudius , as a substitute for gladiators , when he instituted
3240-427: The morrillo , a mound of muscle on the fighting bull's neck, weakening the neck muscles and leading to the animal's first loss of blood. The manner in which the bull charges the horse provides important clues to the matador about the bull such as which horn the bull favors. As a result of the injury and also the fatigue of striving to injure the armoured heavy horse, the bull holds its head and horns slightly lower during
3321-491: The tercio de banderillas ("the third of banderillas"), each of the three banderilleros attempts to plant two banderillas , sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders. These anger and agitate the bull reinvigorating him from the aplomado (literally "leadened") state his attacks on the horse and injuries from the lance left him in. Sometimes a matador will place his own banderillas. If so, he usually embellishes this part of his performance and employs more varied maneuvers than
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3402-743: The 1800s in the United States. More elaborately carved markers, such as crosses or angels also became popular during this time. Simple curb surrounds, sometimes filled with glass chippings, were popular during the mid-20th century. Islamic headstones are traditionally more a rectangular upright shaft, often topped with a carved topknot symbolic of a turban ; but in Western countries more local styles are often used. Some form of simple decoration may be employed. Special emblems on tombstones indicate several familiar themes in many faiths. Some examples are: Greek letters might also be used: Over time
3483-487: The Afternoon : "Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honor." Bullfighting is seen by some as a symbol of Spanish national culture . The bullfight is regarded as a demonstration of style, technique, and courage by its participants and as a demonstration of cruelty and cowardice by its critics. While there
3564-476: The French government tried to ban it but had to back down in the face of local opposition. The bulls themselves are generally fairly small, much less imposing than the adult bulls employed in the corrida . Nonetheless, the bulls remain dangerous due to their mobility and vertically formed horns. Participants and spectators share the risk; it is not unknown for angry bulls to smash their way through barriers and charge
3645-602: The United States alone, pre-purchased headstones with pre-carved death years beginning with 19–. Bas-relief carvings of a religious nature or of a profile of the deceased can be seen on some headstones, especially up to the 19th century. Since the invention of photography, a gravestone might include a framed photograph or cameo of the deceased; photographic images or artwork (showing the loved one, or some other image relevant to their life, interests or achievements) are sometimes now engraved onto smooth stone surfaces. Some headstones use lettering made of white metal fixed into
3726-646: The ancient Iranian practice of Bull sacrifice are reflected in Zoroaster 's Gathas and the Avesta . The killing of the sacred bull ( tauroctony ) is the essential central iconic act of the Iranian Mithras , which was commemorated in the mithraeum wherever Roman soldiers were stationed. The oldest representation of what seems to be a man facing a bull is on the Celtiberian tombstone from Clunia and
3807-422: The blink of an eye. We captured the whole world through our courage and strength, Yet could take nothing with us to our grave." Or a simpler warning of inevitability of death: Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you will be, Prepare for death and follow me. Headstone engravers faced their own " year 2000 problem " when still-living people, as many as 500,000 in
3888-513: The breeder of the bull agrees to have it return to the ranch – the event's president may grant a pardon ( indulto ). If the indulto is granted, the bull's life is spared; it leaves the ring alive and is returned to its home ranch for treatment and then to become a semental , or seed-bull, for the rest of its life. Recortes , a style of bullfighting practiced in Navarre , La Rioja , north of Castile and Valencia , has been much less popular than
3969-412: The bull into a charge to perform a pega de cara or pega de caras (face grab). The frontman secures the animal's head and is quickly aided by his fellows who surround and secure the animal until he is subdued. Forcados are dressed in a traditional costume of damask or velvet , with long knitted hats as worn by the campinos (bull headers) from Ribatejo . The bull is not killed in the ring and, at
4050-559: The bull is the style practiced in Spain and many Latin American countries. Bullfighting stadia are named " bullrings ". There are many historic bullrings; the oldest are the 1700s Spanish plazas of Sevilla and Ronda . The largest bullring is the Plaza México in Mexico City , which seats 41,000 people. Spanish-style bullfighting is called corrida de toros (literally " coursing of bulls") or la fiesta ("the festival"). In
4131-549: The bulls, is an activity related to a bullfighting fiesta. Before the events that are held in the ring, people (usually young men) run in front of a small group of bulls that have been let loose, on a course of a sectioned-off subset of a town's streets. A toro embolado (in Spanish ), bou embolat (in Catalan ), roughly meaning "bull with balls", is a festive activity held at night and typical of many towns in Spain (mainly in
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#17327801006694212-418: The bulls, that the bulls live better than other cattle, and that bullfighting is a grand tradition, a form of art important to their culture. In nineteenth-century Spain, Martina García stood out among women bullfighters as one of the few who sometimes fought bulls alongside men. Tombstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone , that is placed over a grave . A marker set at
4293-418: The bulls. Another type of French 'bullfighting' is the " course landaise ", in which cows are used instead of bulls. This is a competition between teams named cuadrillas , which belong to certain breeding estates. A cuadrilla is made up of a teneur de corde , an entraîneur , a sauteur , and six écarteurs . The cows are brought to the arena in crates and then taken out in order. The teneur de corde controls
4374-428: The dangerous marker. Authorities that have knocked over stones during testing or have unilaterally lifted and laid flat any potentially hazardous stones have been criticised, after grieving relatives have discovered that their relative's marker has been moved. Since 2007 Consistory Court and local authority guidance now restricts the force used in a topple test and requires an authority to consult relatives before moving
4455-594: The dangling rope attached to the cow's horns and the entraîneur positions the cow to face and attack the player. The écarteurs will try, at the last possible moment, to dodge around the cow and the sauteur will leap over it. Each team aims to complete a set of at least one hundred dodges and eight leaps. This is the main scheme of the "classic" form, the course landaise formelle . However, different rules may be applied in some competitions. For example, competitions for Coupe Jeannot Lafittau are arranged with cows without ropes. At one point, it resulted in so many fatalities that
4536-403: The deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death, often along with a personal message or prayer . The presence of a frame for photographs of the deceased is also increasingly common. The stele (plural: stelae ), as it is called in an archaeological context, is one of the oldest forms of funerary art . Originally, a tombstone was the stone lid of a stone coffin , or the coffin itself, and
4617-461: The different types of stone available: The use of slate for this plaque was a good choice as it weathers very slowly and the quality of the carved lettering remains good for many years. Many (Irish) gravestones from the mid 1700s and 1800s are made of slate. This is fortunate for those interested in tracing genealogies , as many of the inscriptions can still be read after two hundred years. This contrasts sharply with lettering cut into granite, which
4698-549: The dust enclosèd here. Blest be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones. Or a warning about mortality , such as this Persian poetry carved on an ancient tombstone in the Tajiki capital of Dushanbe . I heard that mighty Jamshed the King Carved on a stone near a spring of water these words: "Many – like us – sat here by this spring And left this life in
4779-491: The end of the corrida , leading oxen are let into the arena, and two campinos on foot herd the bull among them back to its pen. The bull is usually killed out of sight of the audience by a professional butcher. Some bulls, after an exceptional performance, are healed, released to pasture and used for breeding. In the Portuguese Azores islands, there is a form of bullfighting called tourada à corda , in which
4860-416: The first to introduce the practice of fighting bulls on foot around 1726, using the muleta in the last stage of the fight and an estoc to kill the bull. This type of fighting drew more attention from the crowds. Thus the modern corrida , or fight, began to take form, as riding noblemen were replaced by commoners on foot. This new style prompted the construction of dedicated bullrings, initially square, like
4941-407: The following stages of the fight. This ultimately enables the matador to perform the killing thrust later in the performance. The encounter with the picador often fundamentally changes the behavior of a bull; distracted and unengaging bulls will become more focused and stay on a single target instead of charging at everything that moves, conserving their diminished energy reserves. In the next stage,
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#17327801006695022-453: The future king D. Manuel I was born in the village. It has experienced major development due to the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge. On 10 January 2008 Portuguese prime minister José Sócrates announced that Alcochete had been selected as the site of the new airport serving Lisbon , Portugal's capital. The location of Alcochete as the construction site of the future Lisbon Airport
5103-539: The grave. Footstones were rarely annotated with more than the deceased's initials and year of death, and sometimes a memorial mason and plot reference number. Many cemeteries and churchyards have removed those extra stones to ease grass cutting by machine mower. In some UK cemeteries, the principal, and indeed only, marker is placed at the foot of the grave. Owing to soil movement and downhill creep on gentle slopes, older headstones and footstones can often be found tilted at an angle. Over time, this movement can result in
5184-586: The head of the grave may be called a headstone . An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele , stela , or slab . The use of such markers is traditional for Chinese , Jewish , Christian , and Islamic burials , as well as other traditions. In East Asia, the tomb's spirit tablet is the focus for ancestral veneration and may be removable for greater protection between rituals. Ancient grave markers typically incorporated funerary art , especially details in stone relief . With greater literacy, more markers began to include inscriptions of
5265-554: The language ceased to be spoken" in the communities. In other cases, a language used in the inscription may indicate a religious affiliation. Marker inscriptions have also been used for political purposes, such as the grave marker installed in January 2008 at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky by Mathew Prescott, an employee of PETA . The grave marker is located near the grave of KFC founder Harland Sanders and bears
5346-459: The local plaza, where noblemen would ride competing for royal favor, and the populace enjoyed the excitement. In the Middle Ages across Europe, knights would joust in competitions on horseback. In Spain, they began to fight bulls. In medieval Spain bullfighting was considered a noble sport and reserved for the rich, who could afford to supply and train their horses. The bull was released into
5427-403: The matador changing to the 'descabello', which resembles a sword, but is actually a heavy dagger blade at the end of a steel rod which is thrust between the cervical vertebrae to sever the spinal column and induce instant death. Even if the descabello is not required and the bull falls quickly from the sword one of the banderilleros will perform this function with an actual dagger to ensure the bull
5508-406: The muleta. The muleta is thought to be red to mask the bull's blood, although the color is now a matter of tradition. The matador uses his muleta to attract the bull in a series of passes, which serve the dual purpose of wearing the animal down for the kill and creating sculptural forms between man and animal that can fascinate or thrill the audience, and which when linked together in a rhythm create
5589-590: The past three centuries 534 professional bullfighters have died in the ring or from injuries sustained there. Most recently, Iván Fandiño died of injuries he sustained after being gored by a bull on 17 June 2017 in Aire-sur-l'Adour, France. Some matadors, notably Juan Belmonte , have been seriously gored many times: according to Ernest Hemingway , Belmonte's legs were marred by many ugly scars. A special type of surgeon has developed, in Spain and elsewhere, to treat cornadas , or horn-wounds. The bullring has
5670-418: The picks and shovels of the gravedigger . Somewhat unusual were more elaborate allegorical figures , such as Old Father Time , or emblems of trade or status , or even some event from the life of the deceased (particularly how they died). Large tomb chests, false sarcophagi as the actual remains were in the earth below, or smaller coped chests were commonly used by the gentry as a means of commemorating
5751-477: The spectacle of the cavaleiro , and the pega . In the cavaleiro , a horseman on a Portuguese Lusitano horse (specially trained for the fights) fights the bull from horseback. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandeiras (small javelins ) into the back of the bull. In the second stage, called the pega ("holding"), the forcados , a group of eight men, challenge the bull directly without any protection or weapon of defense. The frontman provokes
5832-410: The standard al cuarteo method commonly used by banderilleros. In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("a third of death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a smaller red cloth, or muleta , and a sword. It is a common misconception that the color red is supposed to anger the bull; the animals are functionally colorblind in this respect: the bull is incited to charge by the movement of
5913-519: The stone itself. Some families request that an inscription be made on the portion of the memorial that will be underground. In addition, some gravestones also bear epitaphs in praise of the deceased or quotations from religious texts, such as " requiescat in pace ". In a few instances the inscription is in the form of a plea, admonishment, testament of faith, claim to fame or even a curse – William Shakespeare 's inscription famously declares Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig
5994-475: The stone, which is easy to read but can be damaged by ivy or frost. Deep carvings on a hard-wearing stone may weather many centuries exposed in graveyards and still remain legible. Those fixed on the inside of churches , on the walls , or on the floor (often as near the altar as possible) may last much longer: such memorials were often embellished with a monumental brass . Irish geologist Patrick Wyse Jackson mused on gravestone legibility in 1993 with regards to
6075-428: The stones being sited several metres away from their original location. Graves and any related memorials are a focus for mourning and remembrance. The names of relatives are often added to a gravestone over the years, so that one marker may chronicle the passing of an entire family spread over decades. Since gravestones and a plot in a cemetery or churchyard cost money, they are also a symbol of wealth or prominence in
6156-501: The surrounding crowd of spectators. The course landaise is not seen as a dangerous sport by many, but écarteur Jean-Pierre Rachou died in 2003 when a bull's horn tore his femoral artery . Spanish-style bullfighting is usually fatal for the bull, and it is also dangerous for the matador. Matadors are usually gored every season, with picadors and banderilleros being gored less often. With the discovery of antibiotics and advances in surgical techniques, fatalities are now rare, although over
6237-457: The time of Emperor Charles V , Pedro Ponce de Leon was the most famous bullfighter in Spain and a renovator of the technique of killing the bull on a horse with blindfolded eyes. Juan de Quirós, the best Sevillian poet of that time, dedicated to him a poem in Latin, of which Benito Arias Montano transmits some verses. Francisco Romero , from Ronda, Spain , is generally regarded as having been
6318-427: The traditional corrida , three matadores each fight two bulls, each of which is between four and six years old and weighs no less than 460 kg (1,014 lb). Each matador has six assistants: two picadores (lancers mounted on horseback), three banderilleros – who along with the matadors are collectively known as toreros (bullfighters) – and a mozo de espadas (sword page). Collectively they comprise
6399-613: The traditional corridas . But recortes have undergone a revival in Spain and are sometimes broadcast on TV. This style was common in the early 19th century. Etchings by painter Francisco de Goya depict these events. Recortes differ from corridas in the following manners: Since horses are not used, and performers are not professionals, recortes are less costly to produce. Comical spectacles based on bullfighting, called espectáculos cómico-taurinos or charlotadas , are still popular in Spain and Mexico. Troupes include El empastre or El bombero torero . An encierro , or running of
6480-626: The twentieth-century horses were protected by thick blankets and wounds, though not unknown, were less common and less serious. However, the danger lurks not only from a bull, but also from other causes, such as too weak infrastructure. One of such cases happened in 2022 in Colombia, when several people were killed and more than 300 were injured after a stand collapsed during the bullfight. The incident happened in El Espinal, Tolima, in central Colombia. Many supporters of bullfighting regard it as
6561-629: Was confirmed by the Portuguese Government on May 8, 2008. Sporting Clube de Portugal has a football training facility ( Academia Sporting in Alcochete), which accommodated Portugal during the Euro 2004 competition. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 3 civil parishes ( freguesias ): Bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill
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