Manolete
Monument to Manolete in front of the bullring in Linares
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born |
4 July 1917 Córdoba, Andalucia, Spain |
| Died | 29 August 1947 (aged 30) Linares, Andalucia, Spain |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Bullfighting |
| Position | Matador |
| Partner | Lupe Sino |
| Bullfighting career | |
| Début novillero | 1931 |
| Alternativa | 2 July 1939 |
| • Place | Real Maestranza de Sevilla |
| Confirmación | |
| • Godfather | Manuel Jiménez |
| • Witness | Rafael Vega de los Reyes |
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez (4 July 1917 – 29 August 1947), better known as Manolete, was a Spanish bullfighter.
He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he excelled at the suerte de matar — the kill. Manolete's contribution to bullfighting included being able to stand very still while the bull passed close to his body and, rather than giving the passes separately, he was able to remain in one spot and link four or five consecutive passes together into a compact series.
He popularized a pass with the muleta called the "Manoletina," which is normally given just before entering to kill with the sword. In addition to all of the major bullrings of Spain, he had very important triumphs in Plaza Mexico.
He died in August 1947 following a goring in the upper right leg as he killed the fifth bull of the day, the Miura bull Islero, an event that left Spain in a state of shock. Manolete received his fatal goring in the town of Linares where he appeared alongside the up-and-coming matador Luis Miguel Dominguín, who, after Manolete's death, proclaimed himself Number One.
In response to Manolete's death, General Francisco Franco, then dictator of Spain, ordered three days of "national mourning", during which only funeral dirges were heard on the radio.
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Wikipedia