Bull fighting

It was in 1886 that the first bullfight was held in Carcassonne, in arenas built on the location of abattoirs.

The success of this festival was undeniable, and aficionados created in 1899 Bullfighting Club Carcassonne. The city then experienced until mid-1920 fever bullfights, always popular.

A fire destroyed the arena in 1925, and then fell gently enthusiasm. It must be said that at that time Carcassonnais had many other concerns, the economic crisis, international tensions that would lead to the Second World War …
It is after 1945 that bullfighting experienced a second youth in town, new arenas were built in the district of Patte d’Oie, near the biggest Aude.Les came tauréer in Carcassonne, Ordoñez, Aparicio, Pimentel, and consecration came in 1953.

Indeed, in June 1953, the Company Bullfighting Federation of France held its National Congress in Carcassonne. But the arenas were dismantled soon after, for safety reasons. They were not replaced because no place seemed suitable for this type of activity.

Without bullfighting tradition of the flame does not étint however, aficionados organizing conferences, meetings, trips, visits to neighboring towns where the tradition was perpetuated vividly as Narbonne, Lezignan, Limoux, Espéraza …

The fiesta brava made his comeback in Carcassonne in September 2001, with the organization of a series of bull fights in arenas erected temporarily. They could not accommodate the thousands of Carcassonne who pressed it, proving that this ancient tradition was not dead.

Love it or hate it, bullfighting is very controversial, but it remains that this tradition is part of the festive scenery of a large part of the south of France, may be due to the proximity of Spain ?