The Fair of Córdoba is held at the end of May and is one of the most important in Andalusia
Its history goes back to the year 1285, when Córdoba is granted the privilege to hold cattle fairs. On the other hand, in the seventeenth century two peasants found a small size of the Virgin in a well whose waters restored the health of the sick. The devotees built a hermitage and every year they gathered around it. The dates coincided with the agricultural and livestock fair and both were naturally sampled, extending through the nearby lands. From the middle of the 19th century it became the main festive event.
Córdoba Fair is celebrated at the end of May in commemoration, therefore, of Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health). This year will be from 19 to 26. Since 1994, approximately one hundred stands are located in the Arenal enclosure (until then it was in the Victoria Gardens but the lack of land prevented growth and caused the transfer). All are carefully decorated and seek to maintain the tradition of Cordovan architecture. Horsemen and ‘flamencas’ meet on the different streets of the fair.
Most of the booths are public and open to everyone. Flamenco, singing, dancing, the gastronomy of the land, attractions, raffles… set the fair day and night. The cover of the enclosure, and whose lighting next to fireworks marks the beginning of the Fair, is the largest in Andalusia, with 145 meters wide and 45 high.
Front of the Fair
Califas Bullring
Located in the neighborhood of Huerta de la Marquesa, each season presents attractive posters that are held mainly during the May Fair. The one in Córdoba is a first-class bullring, as befits a city with a long bullfighting tradition, the birthplace of famous bullfighters, and whose inhabitants gladly attend the informal gatherings organized on the theme in the taverns of the Santa Marina neighborhood. Along with these spontaneous meetings there are programmed cycles that take place in different places such as the Circle of Friendship or the Bullfighting Museum.
The bullring of the Caliphs, is named after the five caliphs of bullfighting. Rafael Guerra ‘Guerrita’, Rafael González ‘Machaquito’, Manuel Rodríguez ‘Manolete’ and Manuel Benítez ‘El Cordobés’. The title of Caliph was invented by Mariano de Cavia to name the great matadors of the province of Córdoba.
The inauguration was made on May 9, 1965 with a bullfight for the benefit of the Spanish Society Against Cancer with bulls from Carlos Núñez for Manuel Benítez ‘El Cordobés’, José María Montilla and Gabriel de la Haba ‘Zurito’.
Currently the Bullfighting Fair consists of one ‘becerrada’, two bullfights and another bullfight with horses. His posters bring together the main figures along with prestigious livestocks. The dates of this 2018 are from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 of May.
Happy week, bullfighting lovers!
