Juan Belmonte bull fighter Juan Belmonte was the

Juan Belmonte [bull fighter]

Juan Belmonte was the most famous bullfighter of the time and a close personal friend of Ernest Hemingway. was a Spanish bullfighter and considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all

His Mistique His technique was unlike that of previous matadors; he stood erect and nearly motionless, and always stayed within inches of the bull, unlike previous matadors, who stayed far from the animal to avoid the horns. As a result of this daring technique, Belmonte was frequently gored, sustaining many serious wounds.

His Life Born 1892 in Spain Slightly deformed legs limit his mobility Kills first Bull in 1910 In 1919, Belmonte fought 109 corridas (bullfights] In 1927 bullfight in Barcelona, Spain. Belmonte was gored through his chest and pinned against a wall. Several other toreros rescue him. King and queen of Spain are in attendance

He forced the bull to go around him, whereas others until then had jumped all over the place like circus performers. Juan Belmonte was the single matador that changed the style of bullfighting. Belmonte was also close friend with author Earnest Hemingway and he appears prominently in two of Hemingway’s books: Death in the Afternoon and The Sun Also Rises.

The End When his doctor told him that, because of his lifelong injuries and trauma, he could no longer smoke cigars, ride his horses, drink wine or perform sexual acts with women, he decided he was ready to die. He ordered his favorite horse brought to him, took a handful of cigars, two bottles of his favorite wine and rode out to his finca where he was met by two of Sevilla’s “women of the night. ” He smoked his cigars and drank his wine, engaging one more time in his final passions, then took his pistol and shot himself. He had told others prior to his last day that if he could not live like a man he would at least die like one.