Beginnings of CaixaBank Tarraco Arena
Some chronicles say that the construction of the Tarragona Bullring, now CaixaBank Tarraco Arena, began to take shape back in 1881. The idea came from the head of Felix Donoso, who had been mayor of Tarragona during the First Republic, and in a short time was commissioned to Ramon Salas Ricomà, considered the best architect of the time in the city of Tarragona.
So, they started building a structure on the spot previously taken by the Orleans bastion, just outside the city. It was still an uninhabited area, but super well-connected, as it was really close to the intersection of the Reus and Valls roads. The City Council gave permission to build it in February 1883, and the bullring opened during the Santa Tecla festivities in mid-September.
Even so, one of the coolest things is that the bullring, which could initially hold 17,000 spectators, was one of the first New Modernist works in the Tarragona region.
Its construction left its builders with a significant debt.
Eventually, it ended up in the hands of a bank that went bust, and just when rumors of a possible demolition started spreading, the Tarragona Provincial Council bought it in 1949 for 1.5 million pesetas.
Two years later, the bullring's golden age began, and thousands of people flocked to its stands to see the world's best bullfighters.
By the way, ever since it was built, the Tarragona Bullring has hosted all sorts of shows and festivals, like bull runs, circus acts, theater plays, concerts, meetings, traditional Sardana dances, and even parades with big-headed figures, plus many other cool events! The arena itself had three levels (the top two were covered) and a round area that was 55 meters across.
The walls were built using local white stone and red bricks. The front of the building had a cool 48-sided shape and was 95 meters wide.
