The history of bull fighting stretches back millennia. Excavations of ancient Minoan frescos on the Island of Crete indicate that games involving bulls started as early as 1500 B.C. But feelings and traditions surrounding bull fighting are changing -- officially. This week, Catalonia's parliament voted to uphold a ban against the sport set to take effect in 2012. Here, Spanish matador Sergio Aguilar during a bullfight of the San Fermin festival at Pamplona's bullring in northern Spain, on July 8.
Spanish matador Oliva Soto eyes his challenger during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, on July 9. In its 419th year, the festival spans nine days of revelry: Each morning, thousands of tourists and locals join in the celebrated Running of the Bulls, along the 825 meter course leading to the arena.
Spanish matador David Fandilla, nicknamed "El Fandi," jumps to avoid a bull, on July 13 in Pamplona. The festival is a symbol of Spanish culture, despite heavy condemnation from animal rights groups -- many cities in Spain, France, Portugal, Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela have banned the sport despite its immense popularity
Before fights, it's not uncommon for bulls to be impaired with laxatives, deprived of water, or have petroleum jelly smeared in their eyes. Here, protestors hold up posters reading "Torture is not culture," during a demonstration calling for the abolition of bullfights on March 28 in Madrid. While the laws are changing in Catalonia, many believe the move is more an indication of Catalan identity politics than a victory for animal rights.
Tickets to a marquee bullfight can start at 100 euros (about $130 dollars); each year in France and Spain, roughly 100 million euros worth of tickets are sold. French matador Sebastian Castella points at the wounded bull during a fight on April 4 in Malaga, Spain.
Aspiring matadors learn the art and techniques of bullfighting early in life. In this photo, boys practice moves at a bull-fighting academy on Dec. 18, 2009 in Salamanca, Spain. At age 12, Michel Lagravere Peniche, known as Michelito to his fans, is one of the world's most famous junior bull fighters. He began his career at age five. Earlier this year, the twelve-year-old matador was gored in Mexico's most famous bull fighting venue, Plaza Mayor.
Spanish matador Francisco Marco is assisted after being gored by a bull during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, on July 8. All bullfighters, even the most seasoned, risk severe injuries in the ring. Spain's most famous bullfighter, José Tomás, sustained horrific injuries in a bullfight earlier this year, requiring an eight-liter blood transfusion.
Proponents of bullfighting believe it to be more an art than a sport -- and an integral part of Spanish culture. The American writer Ernest Hemingway was captivated by the sport and wrote about it often: "The emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick." Above, French matador Sebastian Castella gives a pass to a bull during a bullfight on July 14.
Having tempted fate once too often, Castella is gored by a bull during the San Fermin festival, on July 14 in Pamplona. Bulls have remarkable memories, so the animals are never paired again with the same fighter -- doing so would hand the animal the advantage and put the matador in grave danger.
As evening falls on January 6, a lone bull stands next to a massive billboard in Santa Elena, Jaen province. The average bull weighs over one ton. Fifteen people have died since 1924, the year when Spain began to officially record the number of deaths resulting from bullfights and the Running of the Bulls.
