A few weeks ago, the Seville City Council announced that it wants to charge a fee to foreigners who enter its Plaza de España, for the sake of the conservation of the monumental architectural complex, located in the María Luisa park.
In it, buildings of official organizations, an estuary, four bridges, heraldic shields, benches with symbolic representation of the Spanish provinces, medallions in their arches… and tile panels with scenes of Sevillian customs, many of them with the unmistakable trace of Andrés Martínez de León and the bull in the field or in the square as the protagonist.
Martínez de León, born in Coria de Río in 1895, was one of those luxuries that Spanish culture allows itself from time to time while (almost) hiding it. Painter, illustrator (his were the illustrations for the first edition of Juan Belmonte, matador de toros, from Chaves Nogales), writer, war correspondent… and peculiar bullfighting critic (he wrote as it is spoken in Sevillian) whose alter ego, Oselito, He wrote wonderful, biting and hilarious bullfighting chronicles.
Here is a sample, on the occasion of Juan Belmonte’s farewell: “Today the arbero of the Plaza de Sevilla Juan Belmonte has stepped foot for the last time… It is raining and the fattest square in the world is full of spectators, the flat mayó of Bermontism” .
In La Maestranza this afternoon Belmonte was not bullfighting, of course (he shot himself in the temple on April 8, 1962) but a bullfight was announced that, both for these and for the shortlist, brought together thousands of fans who filled the bullfight. the lines.
Manuel Jesús, El Cid, Daniel Luque and Emilio de Justo, with bulls from La Quinta, pure Santa Coloma charm, an omen of bravery and, with it, that emotion absent in the two preceding afternoons.
Last year El Cid was resurrected in the bullrings after his farewell in 2019, more than two decades as a bullfighter and a professional career that has unanimous recognition. The return was in La Maestranza and he cut off the ear of a Victorino bull.
Because of those things in the system – the bullfighting framework, that is -, El Cid only fought four afternoons in that season in 2023. But at no time did he lower his arms and – adopting the poet’s advice to Julia – he never said “I can’t take it anymore.” and here I stay, here I stay.”
And there was the bullfighter from Salteras (a Sevillian town half an hour from Coria del Río, that of Martínez de León), with his baggage of four Puertas del Príncipe, opening his cape with the first from La Quinta with purple fur, like all the bullfighters. reviewed. A preciousness.
And without probaturas, verónicas finished with stockings to the hip, in the middle. She with temperance led him to the horse and the bull took off far and quickly. The second match, very measured, like the removal of Daniel Luque.
A closed ovation thanked the El Cid audience for their toast, and they were already in the first series in the round, the figure relaxed and the one from La Quinta attacking with fixity and route. Once the second series was over, the music accompanied the work, which continued in the same tone through the left piton. Ah, that left hand of El Cid! And back to the right the recital continued.
Manuel Jesús got drunk from bullfighting, he and everyone enjoyed La Maestranza standing. And a flag bull (they went around the ring in the drag). The thrust was not in divine form and what was two was left in one ear, but what’s done is done.
The second did not allow Daniel Luque to show off with the cape, showing laziness and he barely suffered punishment in rods, before Iván García put two large pairs of flags.
Luque had liked the bull and that’s why he toasted the conclave. Gently and at mid-height he ran his hand on the rounds, which the one from La Quinta took with good sound but somewhat subdued, the same for the left piton, in which there was a series of high-note feet together. Stoconazo and final ovation for Luque.
Veronica Emilio de Justo rehearsed with the first of her lot but without much coupling. He dealt with something difficult in the first thirds with the bull being slow in his attacks, but De Justo was no less than his companions and also gave it to the public.
Beginning of the task with bossy muletazos and a first series that fits the figure and long the line, with the bull attacking with fixity. And the music that starts.
In the following series, also natural, there was a certain disconnection with the lines, but De Justo came back in the final stretch. The thrust in a good place and with a devastating effect added to the request and granting of the ear of a bull that was important and for which, strangely, no clapping sounded during the drag.
A standing ovation for the fourth, a beauty, and El Cid bullfighting Veronica with knowledge and flavor. The same when it came to taking it to the horse. Two entrances to the horse without major relief. Lipi played a couple of banderillas of great merit and El Cid toasted his son.
Settled on his feet, clear of mind, the bullfighter from Salteras made muletazos through the two pitons, which were longer on the right. More dedication from the bullfighter than from the bull. He endured Manuel stops and got some serious crutches. The sword smudged it but the unblemished attitude of a veteran bullfighter remains, yes, but one who deserves due attention from companies, not only because of his career. And this was expressed by the public with the final ovation.
There was no shine from Luque with the cape in the fifth, who entered and left luck without delivery. Luque’s toast to Manuel Martínez Conradi, rancher from La Quinta and the first stages of the work, the muleta in his right hand carrying the attacks with pulse and slowness, just like the attacks of the bull.
They are natural in it, Luque is sure, the same when it came to handling the sword. He received an ovation, which also rewards his time at the Fair: three afternoons, four ears and Puerta del Príncipe in the first.
With a long change in the third, Emilio de Justo greeted the one who was closing the square, who, reaching the last third, toasted, from bullfighter to bullfighter, to El Cid. He put on De Justo with his right hand, also with his left, but the one from La Quinta never wanted to follow the crutch with franchise.
Despite everything, the Extremaduran bullfighter stood up to him with attitude and firmness, taking out muletazos of great merit, recognized by the public. As recognition, he had the thrust high, so much so that he asked for his ear and the user granted it.
The bullfight ended in triumph, the public lived it with interest and imagined how Martínez de León, or rather, Oselito, would have told it. And I smile.
