Joaquín Rodríguez better known as Costillares, was a Spanish bullfighter who has been considered the father of modern spectator bullfighting

Bullfighting

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...

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Son of the Seville matador Luis Rodríguez, who also worked in a slaughterhouse, Costillares followed his father in both professions. He learned about the anatomy of the bull

Bull

Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

 at the slaughterhouse, which would help him as a bullfighter. He began his career with Pedro Palomo, and gained recognition in Seville, where he among the first to perform to acclaim at the recently constructed Real Maestranza

Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla

The Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in Spain. It is the site of the annual Feria de Abril in Seville, one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world....

 bullring

Bullring

A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World...

. Costillares debuted in Madrid in 1767, and began a rivalry with the popular favorite Pedro Romero

Pedro Romero

Pedro Romero Martínez was a legendary bullfighter from the Romero family in Ronda, Spain. His grandfather Francisco is credited with advancing the art of using the muletilla; his father and two brothers were also toreros...

. He appeared regularly in Madrid between 1780 and 1790, but was seriously wounded in a 1782 fight.