Bullfights
Bullfights in Portugal are a different proposition from their Spanish counterparts. The purpose is not to kill the bull, and fighting is done with lances from horseback. The audience comes to admire the graceful movements and skills of the horse and rider as they play the bull. Since tradition dictates 18th-century dress for the participants, Portuguese bullfights are memorable spectacles. Teams arrive in carriages and emerge in embroidered vests with flourishes of tricornered plumed hats.The second half of the show consists of a group of men who try to throw
the bull. Matches are held from Easter through October. In Lisbon they
take place in Campo Pequeño near a metro stop. But the best events
are
held in the suburb of Vila Franca de Xira and Santarem.
