The president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, called this Tuesday for the bulls as “an art that is part of our intangible cultural heritage”. “Bullfighting is the art of arts. Many artistic expressions have been inspired by bullfighting, such as painting, with our admired Goya as a reference, or cinema, with Berlanga’s ‘La Vaquilla’,” he said. underlines.
He did so during the presentation of the first Nicanor Villalta prizes, response of the PP government to the cancellation of the National Bullfighting Prize by Minister Ernest Urtasun. For the occasion, the Executive transformed the Pignatelli Crown room, one of the most emblematic spaces of the DGA headquarters, in an albero.
According to Azcón, bullfighting This has “a very significant impact on the economy”. “VAT collection alone amounts to 40 million each year. There are 103 different economic activities and their impact on GDP exceeds 1,400 million euros. In 2023 alone, 2,814 popular festivals and 56 major festivals took place in Aragon,” he added.
The bulls are also, according to opinion, the defense of the primary sector and the rural environment. “They help support our people. These include, among other things, art, history, economics and tradition. It’s our national holiday, no matter who it is. Bullfighting smells of Spain and Spain smells of bulls. Spain and bullfighting are absolutely inseparable,” he added during an event where there was no shortage of bugles and kettledrums.
His intervention was not without criticism towards the Provincial Delegation of Zaragoza (DPZ), which withdrew its sponsorship of the Pilar Fair prizes, or the Spanish government for the suppression of the National Prize. “Faced with attacks against bullfighting, the Government of Aragon defends the bullfighting festival without any complexity. We brought the celebrations back to regional television with audience success, proof that the Aragonese are very interested in them,” he said.
The event took place in the presence of the Vice President of the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero; the advisor to the Presidency, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro; that of Agriculture, Javier Rincón or the head of Education, Hernández. Also present were the mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, the spokespersons of the Cortes de Aragon parties, councilors such as Víctor Serrano or Armando Martínez and Dr Carlos Val-Carrières.
The trophy itself is a bust of Nicanor Villalta himself, a hand-crafted piece of what is known as the “Colossus of Cretas.” -“the greatest bullfighter in the history of Aragon”- which will serve to recognize the best tasks of the bullfighting season in the squares of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel.
The first to speak was Nicanor’s granddaughter, a very moved Almudena Villalta, who thanked the government of Aragon for putting her grandfather back in the ring, who, last November 20, would have had 127 years old. “For years the figure of bullfighting has been very silenced. This is not just a tribute, but the first year in a long series. “I hope that year after year, my grandfather will receive the name and the place he deserves,” said.
He also requested help from the President of Aragon to create a foundation and museum named after Nicanor. Fernando Adrián, rewarded for his work in Teruel, took charge of taking over. “This award has something special, I will wear it with great affection. Bullfighting has many values. In this square, a colleague lost his life, he gave it for this great profession and that is why I dedicate it to him. I’m talking about Victor Barrio,” he said.
In Huesca, the best work, according to the jury, was that of Emilio de Justo. “It is a pride to be able to receive such an important reward in a Community with Aragon, with high-end fairs. In Huesca I had some great victories and I felt the love of all the fans. “I feel very loved in this country,” he admitted.
In the case of Zaragoza, Tomás Rufo was the eminent for a task “charged with emotion and quality”. Although he was unable to attend in person due to knee surgery, his representative expressed gratitude on his behalf “and that of the entire bullfighting world.” “He will soon be among us all,” he promised.
