The last Ole! Bullfighting comes to an end in Catalonia
Almost seven hundred years of Catalan bullfighting history ended on Sunday night with the final death blow dealt by its hometown hero.
By Fiona Govan, Barcelona
While Jose Tomas, Spain’s finest matador, was the undisputed star of the evening, the honour of killing the last bull on Catalan soil fell to torero Serafin Marin, a native of Barcelona.
When Marin delivered the estocada, a half tonne bull dropped to the sand, just as reflections of the sun faded in the matador’s suit of light.
On a day when bloodthirsty spectacle was staged for the last time, Spain’s leading exponent of the sport took a triumphant bow in his favourite arena.
The final Ole! at La Monumental arena in central Barcelona marked the end of an era and cast the uneasy relationship between the Catalans and Spain into thick swirl of emotion.
The 18,000 seats for the region’s last ever bullfight sold out within hours and tickets traded on the blackmarket commanding more than ten times their face value. A few were touted on the internet for as much as 1,500 euros each.
Even the posters that advertised the event became an instant collector’s item.
The limited editions prints, commissioned especially from Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo, have been disappearing from hoardings across the Catalan capital.