Bullring in the world - the heritage of the past travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World. Bullrings are often historic and culturally significant centers that bear many structural similarities to the Roman amphitheatre. The most famous bullrings in the world are Plaza de toros de Mexico in Mexico and Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia in Valencia, Venezuela. The main bullrings are usually found in Spain, southern France and Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru.

The classic bullring is an enclosed, roughly circular amphitheatre with tiered rows of stands that surround an open central space. The open space forms the arena, a field of densely packed crushed rock that is the stage for the bullfight. Also on the ground level, the central arena is surrounded by a staging area where the bullfighters prepare and take refuge,called callejon. The callejon is separated from the arena by a wall or other structure, usually made of wood and roughly 140 cm high. The partition wall has doors for the entrance and exit of the bull and human participants. In regular places, the wall is pushed outwards leaving splits that allow the bullfighters to go in the arena and to take refuge but are too narrow for the bull. The walls also have a type of stirrup or foothold that aids in crossing over to the central arena, and sometimes stirrups on the arena side as well. These are used mostly by event staff if they need to intervene quickly in the case of an emergency.

Some of bigest and famouse bullring in the world:
The Plaza Mexico, situated in Mexico City, is the world’s largest bullring. This 55,000-seat facility is completely dedicated to bullfighting. The Plaza México replaced the ancient bullring Toreo de la Condesa in the Condesa neighborhood that was overwhelmed by the rapid development of the Mexican population. It opened on 5 February 1946 and annually since then, that date marks the date of the Corrida de Aniversario.The Plaza de Toros de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in Spain. It is the site of the annual Feria de Abril in Sevilla, one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world. Santamaria Bullring is a bull ring in Bogata, Colombia. It is currently used for bull fighting. The stadium holds 14,500 people and was built in 1931. Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia is a bull ring in Valencia, Venezuela. It is currently used for bull fighting and other events like concerts and fairs. It is currently the second most large bullring worldwide, the first being the Plaza de Toros Mexico. The stadium holds 25,000 people and was built in 1968. The ring itself is considered one of the city’s most enjoyable tourist attractions and is certainly one of the most visited. The Arena of Nimes is a Roman amphitheater found in the French city of Nimes. Built in 27 B.C., it was remodeled in 1863 to serve as a bullring. The Arenas of Nimes is the site of two annual bullfights, and it is also used for other public events. The Plaza de toros de Acho is a bullring found in Lima, Peru whose construction began on 30 Jan 1766. It is the most important of the 56 official bullrings in the country. The plaza is classified as a historic monument and is located beside the historical center in the Rímac District. It has a seating capacity of 13,000. The plaza is the oldest to be found in the Americas and the second-oldest in the world after La Maestranza in Spain. The building encloses an elliptical central space 133 m long by 101 m wide. It is ringed by 34 rows of seats supported by a vaulted construction. It has a capacity of 16,300 spectators and since 1989 has a movable cover and a heating system.