Encierro, the crazy race
For a week, theencierro (running of the bulls) will be one of the two major attractions of the festival. Virile and fascinating, these races are also dangerous: the bulls are launched into the street at 8 a.m. sharp, and run at breakneck speed along an 848-metre route through the old town, to the bullring where they will fight in the afternoon. Framed by oxen and preceded by runners dressed in white and the traditional red scarf(corredores), the bulls cross Cuesta de Santo Domingo, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Calle Mercaderes and Calle Estafeta in around 3 minutes. Even experienced riders are not immune to accidents, as the bull is a powerful and wild animal, so participants are advised to exercise extreme caution.
This moment of pure adrenalin is passionately followed throughout Spain, where it is broadcast live on television. But to make your way through the narrow streets that form theencierro course, you'll need to be extremely patient, arriving at least 2 hours before the start of the race. You can also rent a balcony in a local home, for example on sanferminbylocals.com. Prices vary widely depending on location, visibility and floor. Average daily rates are €50 to €150 per person. Another option is to buy a place in the bullring to watch the arrival of the bulls, followed by a cow show.
After a rousing wake-up call, it's customary to eat churros con chocolate in the bars of Calle Estafeta or Plaza del Castillo. The morning continues at 9:30 with La Comparsa de Gigantes y Cabezudos, the procession of Giants and Gnomes with Big Heads, who leave from the Terminus and make their way through the streets of the historic center to the sound of txistus (a typical Basque flute) and bagpipes. Made of cardboard and stone, these characters have been entertaining children and adults alike since the 16th century (despite their temporary disappearance in the 18th ). Today's Gigantes date from 1860 and represent the four continents known at the time: America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Each figure weighs around 60 kg and measures 4.20 meters. As for the Cabezudos, they represent the authorities: the Town Councillor, the Grandmother, the Mayor and the Japanese couple.
Daily bullfights
The second major attraction of San Fermín, and by no means the least, are the daily bullfights. This spectacular tradition punctuates the festivities, establishing theEncierro as an introduction, along with other demonstrations such as the mulillas (parade of mule teams) or theencajonamiento (separation of the bulls before the bullfight), as well as the Landes race and acrobatics. In the end, all shows seem to lead to bullfighting. The most talented matadors practice in Pamplona's bullring - the third largest in the world. Bullfighting is a highly codified discipline, with several phases, including the peones' passes, which enable the matador to assess the bull, followed by the picador 's intervention to test and weaken the animal, and finally the matador's passes and kill.
Although bullfighting has long been popular in Spain, opposition to it has become increasingly vocal in recent years. Opponents of bullfighting have always existed: first, they were moved by the risks taken by the bullfighter, then by the horse (before the introduction of a caparison to protect it in the late 1920s), before, in recent decades, becoming indignant at the abuse inflicted on the bull. These abuses are all the more intolerable for the opponents, as they take place in public, during a veritable staged death of the animal.
However, it's still very difficult to get tickets for the Sanfermines: 90% are sold in advance as annual subscriptions. The remaining 10% go on sale at the bullring box office from 8.30pm, the day before the bullfight. For those who haven't managed to get tickets, it's also possible to try your luck a few hours before the start of the bullfight, in the vicinity of the arena, where resales are organized (but usually at double the price).
According to many regulars, the highlight of the show is provided by Las Peñas, the brass bands that open and close the bullfights, armed with bottles of sangria and pantagruelian snacks often used as projectiles. For the show is as much in the stands as it is in the arena! At the end of the bullfight, each peña leaves the arena with a banner decorated with caricatures of Spanish personalities and politicians. They gather around them a euphoric crowd of revellers, who drink and dance the night away. It's a good-natured institution, devoid of aggression.
In addition to theEncierro, the Comparsa and the bullfight, Pamplona's entertainment is fueled by a funfair, rural sports demonstrations, a livestock fair, fireworks displays and a host of open-air restaurants. The final Pobre de Mí (Poor Me) ceremony closes a week-long marathon of festivities on the evening of July 14, but the party often continues in the streets well into the night.
A fame due to Hemingway
Famous the world over, the Sanfermines owe part of their fame to Hemingway. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the famous American novelist was a great fan of Pamplona, and in particular of its festivals. He first attended the Sanfermines in 1923, at the age of 24, and remained a regular visitor until the outbreak of the Civil War. His novel The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, brought fame to the writer and international renown to the Pamplona festivals. After the war, Hemingway returned on two occasions, in 1953 and 1959, enjoying the luxury of a room at theHotel La Perla, on the Plaza del Castillo. From the balcony of room 217 (now 201), overlooking Calle Estafeta, he would admire the morningbull run before heading off to the bullring in the afternoon, alongside his friend the bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin and the actress Ava Gardner. Even today, the memory of Hemingway remains unshakeable, as does the bronze bust of the writer that sits enthroned in the bullring. Numerous guided tours take visitors back to the places so dear to this illustrious visitor, who introduced Pamplona to the whole world.
