The bull is at the heart of the festival
It is the star of the show, an object of passion or a simple curiosity around which the festivities unfold.
Festivals and bullfighting seem inseparably linked to the point that they have ended up being assimilated to one and the same social phenomenon: bullfighting.
From the festo du bióu to the Feria, from the arena to the street, from the guinguettes to the bodegas, the bullfight takes many forms and evolves across time and places.
Vue de l'exposition "Fête, Feria, Fiesta !" (2022)Musée des Cultures Taurines
The nobility's habit of celebrating births, baptisms or marriages in public places dates back to Spain in the eleventh century. Bullfights can be organized by towns and villages for the intercession of a saint.
The people also had their games where they would run with the bull, which has taken place since medieval times in fairs and parties. These practices, which can be found throughout Europe and as far as America, are certainly rooted in a metaphor for the domestication of animals.
It was in the nineteenth century that the tendency to add bullfighting shows to commercial agricultural fairs developed, following the example of the Seville Feria, which was made official in 1846.
Nîmes, Fêtes du taureau, du 8 au 16 mai 1937 by André VidalMusée des Cultures Taurines
In Nîmes, the agricultural fairs of 1853 and 1863 followed this example. But the real predecessors of the Feria were the Bullfighting festivals of 1937.
Feria de Nîmes
It was created in 1952 on the initiative of five bullfighting clubs: l’Union taurine Nîmoise, le club taurin de St-Césaire, le Cercle taurin Nîmois, les Amis de Toros and l’Afición cheminote.
The first Feria already bore strong markers of the event, which straddles Camargue and Spanish traditions. It has been able to reinvent itself and evolve over time.
Sortie des Arènes, Férie de Nîmes 2007 (2007)Musée des Cultures Taurines
The Feria de Nîmes has its roots in local Camargue bullfighting traditions, but has also drawn inspiration from the festivals of San Fermín in Pamplona, Spain, since its origin in 1952.
Foule sur les boulevards, Feria de Nîmes 2013 (2013)Musée des Cultures Taurines
Each year, the Feria de Nîmes attracts over a million people.
Vue de l'exposition "Fête, Feria, Fiesta !" (2022)Musée des Cultures Taurines
For a very long time, bullfighting festivities have occupied a central place in the village social life of southern France, as shown by the many representations of scenes of rejoicing and excitement about bulls that have existed since the nineteenth century.
The iconography of the Camargue is a privileged source of information for measuring the importance of bullfighting entertainment in traditional lands, and tracking its evolution over time.
The Camargue run in the Bouvino towns, like the run in Landes in the south-west of France, became highlights of the votive festivals or ferias.
These shows are prized by the audience, which is captivated by the prowess of the raseteurs, écarteurs and sauteurs. They are one of the attributes of festive bullfighting, which, accompanied by the sound of the arena and street music, strengthens the toreadors' relationship to the area.
Vue de l'exposition "Fête, Feria, Fiesta !" (2022)Musée des Cultures Taurines
Although they share a passion for bullfighting, on the streets or in enclosed spaces such as arenas, as well as a spirit of celebration and conviviality, a quick overview of the main ferias from South-West France to Spain shows the diversity and uniqueness of bullfighting events.
All of them refer to or move away from the models of Seville, Madrid and Pamplona.
They have a common culture, but each also has its own specificities.
Vue de l'exposition "Fête, Feria, Fiesta !" (2022)Musée des Cultures Taurines
Réalisation : Musée des Cultures Taurines
Chef de projet : Camille Dubois
Conservation : Lisa Laborie-Barrière
Coordination : Isabelle Morfin, Gilles Raoux, Jean-Marie Mercier
Crédits photographiques : © Stéphane Ramillon, © Ville de Nîmes - Musée des Cultures Taurines
