Puebla de Sancho Pérez: The bullring where bullfighting takes place at the feet of the Virgin

If you are a devoted bullfighting enthusiast, you will have visited — or will visit — many bullrings throughout your life. However, you will never have experienced an event in a venue quite like this one. A building that, for many, is a true monument, where the architecture itself takes centre stage, even overshadowing those in the arena. Dare to discover it!

The Puebla de Sancho Pérez Bullring (Badajoz) is one of the most unique architectural and cultural landmarks in Extremadura. Beyond its structure, the venue stands out for its strong religious connection and remarkable age. Its most distinctive feature is that the bullring — an irregular rectangular space — is attached to the Hermitage of Our Lady of Belén, the town’s patron saint. This layout, where the chapel and the bullring form a single architectural complex, is extremely unusual.

Furthermore, the bullring is considered by various historians and local studies to be one of the oldest in Spain. Records date its origins back to the 14th century (specifically 1385), although its current structure has evolved over time. Despite being classified as a third-category venue, it has a capacity of approximately 2,000 spectators — a considerable figure given the town’s population of 2,640 inhabitants according to the 2026 census.

Visitors and locals often describe it as a “charming” and “beautiful” bullring, with a special appeal thanks to its traditional architecture. This makes it the perfect setting for the event scheduled in the town on 18 April: a bullfighting festival with picadors featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.

This event, organised and promoted by matador Alejandro Talavante, is now in its third edition and has become a regional benchmark following the success of previous years. It represents a blend of tradition, cultural promotion and visibility for the town, standing out as one of the most important bullfighting events in the area.

The festival, organised by Ignacio Ríos’ company, will feature a top-class line-up. Bulls from Talavante’s own ranch will be fought by leading matadors Miguel Ángel Perera, Alejandro Talavante, Emilio de Justo and Pablo Aguado. Young bullfighter Moisés Fraile will also take part, having recently caused a major sensation at the Ciudad Rodrigo Carnival.

The festival will be the highlight of a full weekend dedicated to bullfighting in the town. Traditional running of the bulls will take place on 18 and 19 April at midday. The programme also includes talks, children’s activities, concerts and an exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of Talavante’s alternativa. In addition, a practical class will be held on Sunday 19, featuring young students from the Badajoz Provincial Bullfighting School facing cattle from La Solana.

This bullfighting weekend is the perfect opportunity to visit this charming town in the province of Badajoz and to appreciate the organisational effort and strong local support the event receives each year. Once again, it will place this Extremaduran town firmly in the spotlight of the regional bullfighting scene.