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Plaza de toros de Acho

The Plaza de toros de Acho is a popular bullring constructed in 1766 and is considered a national historic monument. It was designed by Agustín Hipóito de Landaburu in 1765 with the intent to host a “running of the bulls event” during the festival celebration of Carnival. The Plaza de toros de Acho was built in the northern part of Lima in the Rimac district.

Due to wear and tear and overall aging, the arena was remodeled in 1944. Its funding was halted briefly in 1821 because of the war for independence with Spain. The Plaza de toros de Acho is the oldest bullring in the Americas and second in the entire world. The idea for the bullring originated from Spanish control over Peru.

The arena runs annually on Sundays in the months of October through November and seats a max capacity of 13,700 people. The event is quite expensive to attend ranging from 300 soles ($90) to 1535 soles ($450) depending on seating. It has long been considered a higher class outing because of its high cost. Although it was once considered a man’s sport, women have made their way into the sport as well. The experience of a bullfighting show is comparable to American Sports and has been used as a source of entertainment for centuries. Similarly, drinking is a familiar custom of the audience members. Bullfighting is not often thought of as a sport but as an art because there is no true competition as the fate of the bull is predetermined. The demonstration is a symbol of courage and the handling of a brutish animal.

By Bobby Cortesi