La Monumental de Barcelona was the musical stage for several world-class performers and has now become a bullfighting museum
The bullring of Barcelona is an architectural jewel. It was inaugurated in 1914. Neo-Mudéjar and Byzantine in style, it has a capacity of 19,582 seats and the building is protected. The house must not touch the facade. No bullfights have been held since 2011, although almost all facilities are kept in good condition, including the bullfighting chapel, with the exception of the infirmary, which could do with a facelift. La Monumental has its doors open and can be visited almost daily for 6 euros. Inside there is a bullfighting museum, with mythical matador costumes, such as Manolete, who triumphed in the Barcelona bullring and took part in as many as 70 festivities. There’s a pack of mourning lights that he wore when his mother died. There are also heads of famous bulls on display, as well as posters or historical documents. During the visit you can step on the sand and explore the dependencies of the square. What no longer exists in the vicinity of the arena is the bullfighting atmosphere of yesteryear, in bars and restaurants in the area, which has been lost over the years. With the end of the bullfights, many of them lost their clientele and were run by citizens of Asian descent.
La Monumental also celebrates other types of festivities. There are about twelve events per year, including family fairs, festivals, sporting events and music concerts. Musical scene, in fact it always has been. The Beatles performed in the bullring of Barcelona, their only performance in the Catalan capital. It was in 1965 and 25,000 people attended. Neither the Palau Sant Jordi nor the Olympic stadium existed, which are now the great concert halls in Barcelona. The Rolling Stones gave their first concert in Spain, at the Monumental, in 1976. And Bob Marley was there in 1980, a year before his death.
La Monumental de Barcelona belongs to the Balañá group, owner of cinemas and theaters in the Catalan capital. Exactly, this company has a cinema in the other bullring of the city, Las Arenas. Bullfights were held there until 1977. It has been a shopping center since 2011, although the entire renovated building of the old square, inaugurated in 1900, remains.
Source: La Verdad
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