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PLAZA DE ACHO. HISTORIA Y TRADICIÓN 1766-1944 |
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PLAZA DE ACHO. HISTORIA Y TRADICIÓN 1766-1944 |
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Note:
Quotes from the book are my translations.
PLAZA
DE ACHO HISTORIA Y TRADICIÓN 1766-1944 is a historical book the content of which is in part
true to its title, since it covers the history of the Plaza de Toros de Acho
from 1766, when it was built until 1944, when it was completely remodeled and modernized
resulting in the present bullring, where the famous Feria del Señor de los
Milagros takes place annually.
I
said “in part” because the theme of the book goes beyond what is stated in its
title, because the author deals with the 
history of bullfighting in Lima, from
its introduction in 1540 by the conquistadors, continuing with its development
during colonial times, as well as during the time from the independence of Peru
from Spain until 1944, when the Plaza de Acho was remodeled. The author also
makes some historical references in his text to the development of toreo in
Spain, to point out that changes which took place in Spain affected the nature
of bullfighting in Lima. The book also addresses the particular native cultural
characteristics that gave local color to Peruvian tauromaquia, especially
during the times that, because of political and societal changes, bullfighting
in Peru developed with very little contact with toreo in Spain.
Before
I comment further about the content of the book I will make some observations
about Dr, Héctor López Martínez, the author of this work. Dr. López is not a
taurine writer as such; he is a well-known and respected Peruvian historian and
professor, who has written more than thirty books about the history of Peru and
the culture of its people. He published PLAZA DE ACHO on the subject of
bullfighting, emphasizing that toreo is a popular cultural component of
Peruvian society, with the dual goals of informing and entertaining the general
public.
Therefore,
he wrote this book using direct and clear prose, without the academic jargon
that characterizes many academic history books. Nevertheless, since a historian
is always a historian, the author often supports his generalization with a
wealth of well-documented data, citing the origins of his sources, and
sometimes he even includes specific details in his narration that might be
interpreted as trivia by bullfighting aficionados, but they may be of interest
to the researchers of a given historical period of Peru.
For
instance, when referring to the primitive corridas celebrated in the Plaza de
Armas of Lima in the 16th and 17th centuries, from old
documents he quotes dates, names of authorities, noblemen who performed or were
present at the festivities and names of the owners of the houses surrounding
the public square where the spectacles took place, as well as other minute
details of interest to historians. When describing the structure of the
original Plaza de Acho built in 1776, he also lists and describes, among other
things, the different facilities of the building, the material used for
building them, the names and amounts of the medicines stored in the infirmary
of the bullring, and the numbers of seats in each row of the stands, as well as
the different prices that spectators paid for tickets to those seats.
Like
those examples I could mention many others. But, in spite of historian Dr.
Héctor López having the tendency to include, from time to time, information in
the text that might not be of interest for the average reader, his narration
flows so smoothly that it allows the reader to ignore the details if he so
chooses, and become involved in the overall theme of the text and to enjoy the
reading.
In
the prologue of the book Marcial Ayaimoma Alvarado, President of the Congress
of the Republic of Peru, reinforces the concept that the scope of this work
goes beyond the history of the Acho Bullring, with the following statement:
PLAZA DE ACHO. HISTORIA Y TRADICIÓN 1766-1944 b y Héctor López Martínez
is a precise and well documented history of bullfighting in Peru, beginning
with its introduction in 1544 when, according to tradition, Governor Francisco
Pizarro fought a bull on horseback at the Plaza de Armas, up to the remodeling
of the present Acho Bullring, in 1944.
And
he concludes by stating that the author, who also is a good bullfighting
aficionado, discussed in his work the merit of the many Peruvian and Spanish
bullfighters who fought in the Acho, in addition to describing the passes that
marked the evolution of toreo, including the passes of Peruvian origin, such
as the “capeo a caballo”, passes
made with the cape while riding horseback. The
content of PLAZA DE ACHO has been chronologically organized in four chapters,
each dealing with the development of bullfighting in Lima during four
historical periods, as the titles of the chapters indicate: I. “El toreo
caballeresco. Los Siglos XVI Y XVII” (Noblemen’s Bullfighting 16th
and 17th Centuries); II. “El Siglo de las Luces” (The Century of
Enlightenment); III. “Entre el Virreinato y el Perú independiente” (Between the
Viceroyship and Independent Peru); and IV. “Las grandes figuras 1900 a 1944”
(The Great Bullfighters 1900-1944).
In
those chapters the processes of the development of bullfighting are discussed.
Also, the meaning of the text is reinforced with numerous illustrations such as
reproductions of colorful paintings, drawings and old documents, and photos. We
learn that from the conquest of Peru by Francisco Pizarro until the coronation of
King Felipe V in 1700, bullfighting in Peru developed following the same path
as bullfighting in Spain. In Lima, it was a formal and ceremonial spectacle,
organized by the colonial authorities in the main square of the town ---la
Plaza de Armas---to commemorate important events, and to impress the audience
with the imperial power. In these functions there were military parades and the
noblemen and military personal courageously demonstrated their fighting skills
by lancing brave bulls and confronting them on horseback and. But Felipe V, the
first king in Spain of the French Bourbon dynasty, in his attempt to introduce
the French culture into his new kingdom, encouraged the Spanish nobility to
give up the thrill of the arena for the pleasures of the royal court.
As a result, bullfighting in Spain was left
to the plebeians, who converted the orderly spectacle into something completely
different, which was chaotic, inhumane and brutal in its early days, before it
developed into the elegant and artistic toreo practiced today. The noblemen and
the gentlemen in the colony also followed the example of their peers in Spain,
allowing the plebeians to become the protagonists of the fiesta. At this point
Peruvian toreo developed its local characteristics, resulting in a toreo
somehow different from the Spanish version. Examples of these local innovations
in Peruvian toreo are the riding of brave bulls in the bullring and the capeing
of bulls while riding on horseback, as well as the lack of the use of picadors
performing in the corridas. Regarding the new course that the primitive and
disorganized bullfights took in Lima, Professor López says:
And what was happening in our capital, in our midst? More or less we
were following the example of what was taking place in Spain. Some bullfighters
who fought on horseback, like rejoneadors and picadors, were coming to Lima
from Spain. Also, “chaperone” toreros on foot, obviously of the worst standing
in Spain, came. Nevertheless, they were the teachers of our bullfighters, who in
the immense majority were blacks, mulattos, and persons of black and Indian
mixed blood; let’s say they were slaves or emancipated slaves. It was
considered that to confront a bull, and to be paid for it, was something
despicable, and an honorable person should not commit this great fault, since
this would not only dishonor him but his whole family as well.
The
final chapter relates how bullfighting in Lima returned to its Spanish sources.
It explains that the differentiations between Spanish and Peruvian toreo
started to disappear at the end of 19th Century when some notable
Spanish toreros began performing in the Plaza de Acho. Then, little by little,
Peruvian toreo returned to its Spanish roots, when in the 20th
Century many Spanish and Mexican bullfighters, including great stars as Gaona,
“Joselito” and Belmonte, fought regularly in the Plaza de Acho, performing with
local matadors. Also, at that time, to facilitate more modern bullfighting,
brave bulls and cows were imported to Peru from Spain for breeding purposes,
with the intention of increasing the bravery of the half-caste local cattle.
When
I finished reading the well written 223 pages of PLAZA DE ACHO. HISTORIA Y
TRADICIÓN 1766-1944 I had the feeling that assimilating the carefully documented
facts about the development of bullfighting in Peru, detailed in the four
chapters of this book, I have learned a great deal about facts that I only knew
superficially. And, what is also of major importance is that I did it with
enjoyment.
What
more can we expect from reading a historical book than to be informed and to be
entertained at the same time?
