Don Alvaro Domecq y Diez
Encyclopedia
Don Álvaro Domecq y Díez (1917-2005) was born into an aristocratic Spanish sherry
family in Jerez
, of Cádiz
, a province of Andalusia
in south western Spain.
He distinguished himself as a fighter pilot in the Spanish Civil War
on Francisco Franco
's side, and later re-introduced bullfighting on horseback to Spain
. Domecq further developed bull breeding and a presided as patriarch over a bull-fighting dynasty.
where he studied law. But any plans for a legal career were curtailed by the 1936-39 Civil War. Álvaro Domecq married María Josefa Romero in 1938.
.
In 1930 Álvaro's father took over a large estate that had belonged to the Duke of Veragua
, marking the beginning of the family's relationship with the fiesta nacional, the bullfight.
. Rejoneador
("lancer") is the name given to a bullfighter who fights the bull on horseback. Along with the picador, a rejoneador is the second type of mounted bullfighter in Spanish bullfighting.
In the 1943 season Domecq participated in more than 50 corridas, being feted in Portugal and as far afield as Mexico for his horsemanship,donating all his fees to charity. He retired from the bullring in 1950, a year after witnessing the goring and death of his close friend Manolete
at Linares. His son Álvaro and later, grandson Luis followed in the ring.
He established himself as a leading bull breeder of "toros bravos" bulls and pioneered artificial insemination
to improve their stock. His book, El Toro Bravo, is still a textbook on the subject.
He later demonstrated his loyalty to the Franco regime by serving as mayor of Jerez (1952-57) and president of the provincial government of Cadiz from 1957 until 1967, when he became a deputy in the Cortes.
In 1991 four of his grandchildren were killed in a car accident. Some attribute these unfortunate events to the "Domecq Curse".
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
family in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
, of Cádiz
Cádiz (province)
Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe....
, a province of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
in south western Spain.
He distinguished himself as a fighter pilot in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
on Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's side, and later re-introduced bullfighting on horseback to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Domecq further developed bull breeding and a presided as patriarch over a bull-fighting dynasty.
Life
Álvaro Domecq y Díez was born in Jerez on July 1, 1917. His mother died in a riding accident when he was four, and Álvaro was educated by Jesuits in Madrid. After the fall of the monarchy, he travelled to Bordeaux and Estremoz in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
where he studied law. But any plans for a legal career were curtailed by the 1936-39 Civil War. Álvaro Domecq married María Josefa Romero in 1938.
British links
In 1725 an Irishman, Patrick Murphy, had set up the sherry company that the Domecqs, then a minor French noble family, inherited in 1822. Pedro Domecq produced brandy and sherry until 1994, when the family was bought out and Pedro Domecq became part of the UK-based Allied DomecqAllied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, UK that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard.-History:...
.
In 1930 Álvaro's father took over a large estate that had belonged to the Duke of Veragua
Duchy of Veragua
The Duchy of Veragua was a Spanish hereditary domain created in 1537 in the reign of King Charles I in a small section of the territory of Veragua...
, marking the beginning of the family's relationship with the fiesta nacional, the bullfight.
Career
When his father died in 1937, 20-year old Domecq started work in the family's bodegas, becoming managing director of the company.Bullfighting
In 1934, before the war, he debuted at 17 as a bullfighter in Santander. He is deemed by most to have revived the then almost moribund form of bullfighting known as rejoneo, or horseback bullfightingBullfighting
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...
. Rejoneador
Rejoneador
Rejoneador is the name given to a bullfighter who fights the bull on horseback. The rejoneador shouldn't be confused with the picador, who is just an assistant of the matador...
("lancer") is the name given to a bullfighter who fights the bull on horseback. Along with the picador, a rejoneador is the second type of mounted bullfighter in Spanish bullfighting.
In the 1943 season Domecq participated in more than 50 corridas, being feted in Portugal and as far afield as Mexico for his horsemanship,donating all his fees to charity. He retired from the bullring in 1950, a year after witnessing the goring and death of his close friend Manolete
Manolete
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez , 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...
at Linares. His son Álvaro and later, grandson Luis followed in the ring.
He established himself as a leading bull breeder of "toros bravos" bulls and pioneered artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
to improve their stock. His book, El Toro Bravo, is still a textbook on the subject.
He later demonstrated his loyalty to the Franco regime by serving as mayor of Jerez (1952-57) and president of the provincial government of Cadiz from 1957 until 1967, when he became a deputy in the Cortes.
Curse
Of his 19 children, only two, Álvaro and Fabiola survived to adulthood. Fourteen died as a consequence of their mother's Rhesus Negative blood. A girl died during a blood transfusion, a boy died of dysentery at four months and another died, aged six, in a riding accident.In 1991 four of his grandchildren were killed in a car accident. Some attribute these unfortunate events to the "Domecq Curse".