The south will vibrate all the summer songs of the férias. In Bayonne, Arles, Dax, Béziers, Carcassonne, or even Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the arena plan to fill tens of thousands of visitors from the four corners of the world for the occasion. There is a public fond of show, where the "olé" full of joy ignite the fighting, and to announce the sacrifice. The bull-fights of summer have begun.

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The economic model of bullfights, undergoes, however, a horn for the past ten years. Places expensive (between 20 and 108 euros), the disaffection of some public stamps astronomical bullfighters, all on the bottom of cabal anticorrida, undermines an institution multicentenaire who has been a resurgence of enthusiasm in the France of the 1950s.

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Attendance in berne

In Spain, the number of performances bullring has declined by 50% in ten years, according to figures from the ministry of Culture. On the French side, the arenas of Nimes have lost close to 20,000 spectators to the férias of Pentecost in nine years. This year, the city lost 1,000 people in its arena, even though it was earning 60,000 visitors. Lack of subsidies, small municipalities, reduce the number of bullfights ; the impresarios to focus their programming, preferring to shows in the holiday periods and not to the year.

This slow disaffection, Corentin Carpentier, milf passionate about bullfighting, president and founder of the association of young aficionados nîmes inhabitants, is explained. "The stamps of the great bullfighters have exploded. Today, a small number of matadors locked the cartels ( posters programming, ED. ) and request up to 200,000 euros for a corrida."

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As the football, the bullfight is an increase in the range. Game reserved for the Spanish nobility in the late Middle Ages, popular entertainment in the Twentieth century, the "running of the bulls" is strongly rooted in the local culture of the south. But for Corentin Carpentier, "the public has not been able to keep up with rising prices. There are still a few years, the young locals were not going to the arena and merely manifestations taurines street, free of charge."

Up to 7000 euros per head

The eight cities with arenas first category, Arles, Nîmes, Béziers, Carcassonne, Bayonne, Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, Vic-Fezensac - do not accept anything. Rise of the "toros bravos", a breed specially dedicated to bullfighting, cost a small fortune to the French breeders, without being necessarily cost-effective. The "toro de lidia" ideal, it is a black dress, horns, invading, of the nobility in the charge and the gallantry in battle, with 600 kg of muscles and a serious desire to fight.

To sell a lot of six bulls four-year component to a bullfight formal, "it is necessary to initially go with a fifteen calves, because they kill them while growing up," said Patrick Laugier, president of the association of breeders of fighting bulls. A bull presentable and represents between 5000 and 7000 euros a piece, including the costs of land and staff. "When it is "damaged", it is sold at the fairs of the second and third categories and you will lose up to 50% of its value," says the breeder.

"In Spain, the breeding of toros bravos is a profession of noble landowners"

Patrick Laugier, ganadero

to The point that many of the ganaderos are forced to diversify their activity. If they touch the subsidies of the CAP as the other breeders, some are open for breakfast, raise cattle for meat, produce, fodder or rice... not to mention the Spanish competition, the first producer of fighting bulls. "In Spain, the breeding of toros bravos is a profession of noble land-owners," observes Patrick Laugier. "Today, it is difficult for young farmers without a land to cast it."

Finance painful

Even the sound of a bell with teachers and schools taurines. The poverty wages, the lack of perspective and the generalized precariousness of the sector, with the exception of the stars, discouraged more than one.

Next to "show," we interviewed Simon Casas, the first producer of bullfights and dealership arenas, first category, including those in Madrid and Nîmes. The flamboyant producer manages the arena nîmoises in delegation of public service. "In Nîmes, I am a 30 million euros turnover in 2018. I reverse 20% to the State because I do not benefit of the VAT cultural to the reduced rate of 5.5%, as the theatres", says the ex-bullfighter. If he succeeds in recovering costs, a lot of bullfights third category are onerous.

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The image of bullfighting continues to be tarnished on the societal level by the associations in opposition to the animal abuse in the first place the Alliance anticorrida. Companies are reluctant to send their employees to the arenas ; those who buy tickets do not communicate more on it ; and the young people are reluctant to adopt the recent promotions of tariff that they have available.

unspoiled Landscapes

Despite this trend, the wind could turn. In 2017, the constitutional council cancelled the vote in the catalan parliament prohibits bullfighting in Barcelona. In France, the public stabilizes. Defenders of bullfighting insist: the bullfighting represents a tourist activity, and therefore economic center for the region. If its overall value is not known, it would generate several hundred million euros per year in all business activities, and believes a city councilman of Arles.

Simon Casas the hammers: "every year, 60% of the public arenas is not nîmes inhabitants. It comes from Paris, the United States, Latin America and Europe." According to a survey of the CCI of Nîmes in 2013, 55% of restaurant owners felt the impact of the feria of September positive or very positive, compared to 17% with a negative opinion and 28 percent a neutral opinion.

The bullfighting product finally, a more unexpected on the region. The beasts are moving in the meadows and the marshes, in the company of hares and horses of the Camargue. The landscapes are deliberately preserved by the farmers to cultivate the wild nature of their pets. A quality aesthetic and ecological rewarded by the croissance of ecotourism in the region.

Date Of Update: 22 July 2019, 00:00