All the information about the Madrid bullring
Las Ventas bullring is considered by professionals, fans and critics as the most important bullring in the world, the Cathedral of Bullfighting. It is impressive from the outside, and upon entering the enclosure it is confirmed that it is great, magnificent, monumental... a number of adjectives that come to mind when you set foot in it. It is a temple that thrills and takes your breath away.
Map of the sectors
Picture of the bullring
Seats map
At the beginning of the twentieth century bullfighting was adding fans and the bullring on the Aragon road was small. José Gómez, “Joselito”, proposed the construction of a new bullring and José Espelius, architect and friend of the bullfighter, signed the project. It began to be built in 1922 on a site then known as “Las Ventas del Espíritu Santo”, hence its present name.
It is of neo-Mudejar style, on a metal structure. The decoration is the work of the architect Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, who continued with the idea of Espelius after his death, and was made of ceramic tiles with the coats of arms of all the Spanish provinces.
The construction works were completed in 1929 and on June 17th, 1931, the first bullfight was organized by the then mayor of Madrid, Pedro Rico, for the benefit of the unemployed workers. The poster was formed by Fortuna, Marcial Lalanda, Nicanor Villalta, Fausto Barajas, Luis Fuentes Bejarano, Vicente Barrera, Armillita Chico and Manolo Bienvenida. But it was not until 1934 that it began to be used on a regular basis, after its definitive inauguration on October 21st with the bullfighters Juan Belmonte, Marcial Lalanda and Joaquín Rodríguez Ortega “Cagancho”.
It is located at number 237 of Calle Alcalá in the neighborhood of La Guindalera and belongs to the district of Salamanca. It has an area of 45.800 square meters and capacity for 23.800 spectators, which makes it the third largest in the world after Mexico and Valencia (Venezuela). Its ring is just over 60 meters in diameter, second only to the Ronda bullring.
It has been part of the Historical Heritage since 1994.
