Next Thursday, May 16, the Monumental bullring of Barcelona will open its doors, as well as the Puerta Grande of its arena, in an event convened by the Federation of Bullfighting Entities of Catalonia on the occasion of International Bullfighting Day, which will also be celebrated in other Spanish, French and Latin American cities.
It is not a date chosen capriciously but rather it commemorates the fatal goring in the Talavera bullring of the Queen of Joselito El Gallo, “The King of the Bullfighters”, on that day in the year 1920 and – whims of chance – it coincides with the controversy now aroused by the decision of the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, to suspend – prior to the suppression – of the National Bullfighting Award.
Thus, the event called by the Catalan bullfighting federation, attended by the president of the Toro de Lidia Foundation, Victorino Martín; the head of his legal office Fernando Gomá; the director and students of the Bullfighting School of Catalonia and Catalan bullfighting professionals and fans, is also a vindication of the historical value and cultural dimension of bullfighting (recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage) and a cry for freedom.
It also happens that despite certain voices that continue to proclaim that bullfighting has been prohibited in Catalonia since 2010 by decision of the Parliament, a ruling by the Constitutional Court in 2016 repealed the Catalan ban.
On May 16, and even if it is symbolic, the Monumental will once again open its doors to bullfighting. The Law also allows it to be opened in a real way, with bulls and bullfighters in its arena and the public in its stands. But that’s oh! another story.
