Juan Belmonte
Encyclopedia
Juan Belmonte García was a Spanish
bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.
area of Seville
, Belmonte began his bullfighting career in 1908, touring around Spain
in a children's bullfighting group called Los Niños Sevillanos. He killed his first bull
on July 24, 1910. As an adult, his technique was unlike that of previous matadors; he stood erect and nearly motionless, and always stayed within inches of the bull, unlike previous matadors, who stayed far from the animal to avoid the horns. As a result of this daring technique, Belmonte was frequently gored, sustaining many serious wounds.
One such incident occurred during a November, 1927 bullfight in Barcelona, Spain. Belmonte was gored through his chest and pinned against a wall. Several other toreros rescued him. Among the spectators that day were the King
and Queen of Spain and the Infanta Beatriz
.
Belmonte's rivalry with Joselito
(a.k.a. Gallito), another contender for the appellation "greatest matador of all time", from 1914 to 1920 is known as the Golden Age of Bullfighting. The era was cut short when Joselito was fatally gored on May 16, 1920, at the age of 25, at a bullfight in Talavera de la Reina, a small town not far from Madrid
. Belmonte then had to carry alone the weight of the whole bullfighting establishment, which proved to be unbearable, and which in 1922 led to the first of his three temporary retirements.
In 1919, Belmonte fought 109 corridas
(bullfights), a number unmatched by any matador before, until the 1965 bullfight season when Manuel Benítez Pérez ("El Cordobés
") performed in 111 corridas, surpassing Belmonte's record. The Mexican matador Carlos Arruza
fought 108 corridas in one season but it is said that he refused to pass Belmonte's record out of respect for the maestro.
After his third and final retirement in 1935, Belmonte moved to a 3,500-acre ranch in Andalusia, where he 'lived the life of a gentleman bull-breeder'. He also published a (ghostwritten) autobiography. Written by Manuel Chaves Nogales
and published in 1937, it was called Juan Belmonte, matador de toros: su vida y sus hazañas (Juan Belmonte, killer of bulls: his life and deeds) and consisted of his story as told to Nogales. The book was translated into English by Leslie Charteris as Juan Belmonte, Killer of Bulls. Belmonte was also a close friend of author Ernest Hemingway
, and he appears prominently in two of Hemingway's books: Death in the Afternoon
and The Sun Also Rises
. Like Hemingway, Belmonte committed suicide
by gunshot.
Juan Belmonte was the single matador that changed the style of bullfighting. Born with slightly deformed legs, he could not run or jump like other boys and so when he finally began his career as a matador, he firmly planted his feet on the ground, never giving way. He forced the bull to go around him, whereas others until then had jumped all over the place like circus performers.
During his bullfighting career he received 24 serious wounds and 'countless minor ones' . He later developed a grave heart condition, identified by a Madrid specialist who advised him to 'go easy' and to stop riding , an instruction that he initially took to heart but, in the last spring of his life, disobeyed in order to ride his favourite horse, Maravilla, on the ranch with his son. Shortly before his death he learned that he had lung cancer. After a final morning ride, he returned home to his ranch house, took his 6.35mm pistol
from a drawer in his study and shot himself. He died within a week of his 70th birthday. Berman and Wallace suggest that this may have been a 'copycat suicide'; on hearing of his friend Hemingway's suicide in 1961, Belmonte is said to have answered 'Well done.'
The circumstances surrounding his death are the source of some controversy. A popular version, seen for example in Life, describes events substantially as follows: when Belmonte's doctor told him that, because of his lifelong injuries and trauma, he could no longer smoke cigars, ride his horses, drink wine or perform sexual acts with women, he decided he was ready to die. He ordered his favorite horse brought to him, took a handful of cigars, two bottles of his favorite wine and rode out to his finca
where he was met by two of Sevilla's "women of the night." He smoked his cigars and drank his wine, engaging one more time in his final passions, took his pistol and shot himself. He had told others prior to his last day that if he could not live like a man he would at least die like one.
A movie about his life, titled Belmonte and directed by Juan Sebastián Bollaín, was released in 1995.
He is interred at the cemetery
of Seville, 20 yards from the grave of his rival of seven seasons, Joselito. His wish was to be buried with the robe of his Holy Week
fraternity
, El Cachorro. Catholic rules prescribed against this, regardless of deep religious fervor of him and his followers. His death provoked a strong sadness in the city of Seville.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.
Life
Born in the TrianaTriana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
area of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Belmonte began his bullfighting career in 1908, touring around Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in a children's bullfighting group called Los Niños Sevillanos. He killed his first bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
on July 24, 1910. As an adult, his technique was unlike that of previous matadors; he stood erect and nearly motionless, and always stayed within inches of the bull, unlike previous matadors, who stayed far from the animal to avoid the horns. As a result of this daring technique, Belmonte was frequently gored, sustaining many serious wounds.
One such incident occurred during a November, 1927 bullfight in Barcelona, Spain. Belmonte was gored through his chest and pinned against a wall. Several other toreros rescued him. Among the spectators that day were the King
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
and Queen of Spain and the Infanta Beatriz
Infanta Beatriz of Spain
The Infanta Beatriz of Spain was a daughter of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and paternal aunt of the current King Juan Carlos I.-Early life:Infanta Beatriz was born at La Granja, San Ildefonso near...
.
Belmonte's rivalry with Joselito
José Gómez Ortega
José Gómez Ortega , commonly known as Joselito , was a Spanish matador in the early twentieth century.Joselito was considered a child prodigy and was the youngest bullfighter to receive the title of matador de toros, at the age of 17. Joselito followed in arch-rival Juan Belmonte's footsteps and...
(a.k.a. Gallito), another contender for the appellation "greatest matador of all time", from 1914 to 1920 is known as the Golden Age of Bullfighting. The era was cut short when Joselito was fatally gored on May 16, 1920, at the age of 25, at a bullfight in Talavera de la Reina, a small town not far from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Belmonte then had to carry alone the weight of the whole bullfighting establishment, which proved to be unbearable, and which in 1922 led to the first of his three temporary retirements.
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
(bullfights), a number unmatched by any matador before, until the 1965 bullfight season when Manuel Benítez Pérez ("El Cordobés
El Cordobés
Manuel Benítez Pérez , more commonly known as El Cordobés , is a famous matador of the 1960s who brought to the bullring an unorthodox acrobatic and theatrical style.-Career:...
") performed in 111 corridas, surpassing Belmonte's record. The Mexican matador Carlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza , born Carlos Ruiz Camino, was one of the most prominent bullfighters of the 20th century. He was known as "El Ciclón" ....
fought 108 corridas in one season but it is said that he refused to pass Belmonte's record out of respect for the maestro.
After his third and final retirement in 1935, Belmonte moved to a 3,500-acre ranch in Andalusia, where he 'lived the life of a gentleman bull-breeder'. He also published a (ghostwritten) autobiography. Written by Manuel Chaves Nogales
Manuel Chaves Nogales
Manuel Chaves Nogales was a Spanish journalist and writer, an enthusiastic supporter of the Second Spanish Republic and friend of the new President Manuel Azaña.-Biography:...
and published in 1937, it was called Juan Belmonte, matador de toros: su vida y sus hazañas (Juan Belmonte, killer of bulls: his life and deeds) and consisted of his story as told to Nogales. The book was translated into English by Leslie Charteris as Juan Belmonte, Killer of Bulls. Belmonte was also a close friend of author Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, and he appears prominently in two of Hemingway's books: Death in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon is a non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway about the ceremony and traditions of Spanish bullfighting. It was originally published in 1932. The book provides a look at the history and what Hemingway considers the magnificence of bullfighting...
and The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises is a 1926 novel written by American author Ernest Hemingway about a group of American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bullfights. An early and enduring modernist novel, it received...
. Like Hemingway, Belmonte committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by gunshot.
Juan Belmonte was the single matador that changed the style of bullfighting. Born with slightly deformed legs, he could not run or jump like other boys and so when he finally began his career as a matador, he firmly planted his feet on the ground, never giving way. He forced the bull to go around him, whereas others until then had jumped all over the place like circus performers.
During his bullfighting career he received 24 serious wounds and 'countless minor ones' . He later developed a grave heart condition, identified by a Madrid specialist who advised him to 'go easy' and to stop riding , an instruction that he initially took to heart but, in the last spring of his life, disobeyed in order to ride his favourite horse, Maravilla, on the ranch with his son. Shortly before his death he learned that he had lung cancer. After a final morning ride, he returned home to his ranch house, took his 6.35mm pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
from a drawer in his study and shot himself. He died within a week of his 70th birthday. Berman and Wallace suggest that this may have been a 'copycat suicide'; on hearing of his friend Hemingway's suicide in 1961, Belmonte is said to have answered 'Well done.'
The circumstances surrounding his death are the source of some controversy. A popular version, seen for example in Life, describes events substantially as follows: when Belmonte's doctor told him that, because of his lifelong injuries and trauma, he could no longer smoke cigars, ride his horses, drink wine or perform sexual acts with women, he decided he was ready to die. He ordered his favorite horse brought to him, took a handful of cigars, two bottles of his favorite wine and rode out to his finca
Finca
Finca is a board game published by Hans im Glück. Players collect fruit by stepping around a windmill and then selling the fruit in specific combinations to the various towns on the game board.The game was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres in 2009....
where he was met by two of Sevilla's "women of the night." He smoked his cigars and drank his wine, engaging one more time in his final passions, took his pistol and shot himself. He had told others prior to his last day that if he could not live like a man he would at least die like one.
A movie about his life, titled Belmonte and directed by Juan Sebastián Bollaín, was released in 1995.
He is interred at the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
of Seville, 20 yards from the grave of his rival of seven seasons, Joselito. His wish was to be buried with the robe of his Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
, El Cachorro. Catholic rules prescribed against this, regardless of deep religious fervor of him and his followers. His death provoked a strong sadness in the city of Seville.