Plaza de Torros

Plaza de Torros de Valencia is also known as Plaça de bous de València. It is an arena meant for fighting bulls. And to this day, bull fights are still held there.

History of the architecture

This arena was built between 1850 and 1859 and opened its doors on June 22, 1859. The arena was inspired and derived from the Roman arenas, for example the Colosseum or the Arena of Nimes. The arena was built by Valencian architect Sebastián Monleón Estellés. The structure is formed by a 48-sided polygon, with 384 external arches. When built, the bullfighting arena was located outside the city walls near the Ruzafa gate. The architect designed the 17.50-meter-high building with 48 sides. Originally, the arena had an inner diameter of 52 meters, which was later reduced. It is an early example of a building in which cast iron columns were used, providing a remarkable transparency in the boxes.

Capacity

Plaza de Toros is one of the most beautiful arenas in Spain and of course in Valencia, with an outer diameter of 108 meters and a capacity of 16,851 seated spectators this was later reduced to 12,884 seats now the arena has a capacity of 10,500 people. These dimensions make it one of the largest arenas in Spain. As was reflected in the media at the time.

Who is the owner of the arena?

Since 1625, the land has been owned by the Hospital General and managed by the Provincial Council of Valencia and the Simon Casas Productions company. Over the years it has been managed by both private companies and the municipality of Valencia itself.

Where can you find the arena?

The bullfighting arena can be found in the center of Valencia, next to the main train station of the city of Valencia.

The Statue

In front of the arena is a statue. This statue is of Manolo Montoliu, a matador. During a bullfight on 1

In May 1982, the 38-year-old matador was taken on the horns and died instantly. Montoliu was considered one of the best matadors of the twentieth century.

The museum

At the Plaza de Torros de Valencia you can also find a museum. In this museum you can find all the information and props such as flags, matador suits and other materials that were used during these battles.

Other Events

In addition to the bullfights, events are also held in the arena. One of the most famous annual events is the Oktoberfest. The Valencian love it. The Oktoberfest is usually celebrated several times a year. Furthermore, concerts take place on a regular basis. Sometimes there are also markets organized, for example with stalls with products from different cities of the region of Valencia. There have also been many concerts in the Plaza de Toros, for example by Ricky Martin and Daddy Yankee. Definitely

worth to take a look!