Álvaro Domecq y Díez facts for kids

Don Álvaro Domecq y Díez (born July 1, 1917 – died October 5, 2005) came from a well-known family in Jerez, Spain. His family was famous for making sherry, a special kind of wine. Jerez is a city in the Cádiz province of Andalucia, in southwestern Spain.

Álvaro Domecq was a brave fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War. After the war, he brought back a special type of bullfighting where riders fight bulls from horseback. He also helped improve the breeding of bulls used in these events. He became a respected leader in the world of bullfighting.

Life of Álvaro Domecq

Álvaro Domecq y Díez was born in Jerez on July 1, 1917. When he was four years old, his mother passed away in a riding accident. Álvaro was educated by Jesuits, a group of Catholic priests, in Madrid.

After the king was no longer in charge of Spain, Álvaro traveled to Bordeaux in France and Estremoz in Portugal. There, he studied law. However, his plans for a legal career changed because of the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939. In 1938, he married María Josefa Romero.

Family History and Bullfighting

In 1725, an Irishman named Patrick Murphy started a sherry company. Álvaro's family, the Domecqs, took over this company in 1822. For many years, a company in London called Matthew Clark and Sons helped bring their sherry to Britain.

In 1930, Álvaro's father bought a large estate that used to belong to the Duke of Veragua. This was the beginning of the Domecq family's connection to the "fiesta nacional," which is another name for the bullfight.

Álvaro Domecq's Career

When Álvaro's father died in 1937, Álvaro was only 20 years old. He started working in the family's "bodegas," which are large cellars where sherry is made. He quickly became the managing director, meaning he was in charge of running the company.

His Bullfighting Career

In 1934, before the war, Álvaro Domecq started bullfighting at the age of 17 in Santander. He is widely known for bringing back a type of bullfighting called rejoneo. This is a special kind of bullfighting done on horseback. A bullfighter who fights on horseback is called a rejoneador. They are one of two types of mounted bullfighters in Spain.

In 1943, Álvaro Domecq took part in more than 50 corridas, which are bullfights. He was celebrated in Portugal and even in Mexico for his amazing horse riding skills. He gave all the money he earned from these events to charity.

He stopped bullfighting in 1950. This was a year after he saw his close friend, Manolete, get badly injured and die during a bullfight in Linares. Álvaro's son, also named Álvaro, and later his grandson, Luis, continued the family tradition in the bullring.

He became a top breeder of "toros bravos," which are brave bulls used in bullfights. He was a pioneer in using artificial insemination to make sure his bulls were strong and healthy. His book, El Toro Bravo, is still used today to learn about bull breeding.

Later in his life, Álvaro Domecq showed his support for Francoist Spain, the government led by Francisco Franco. He served as the mayor of Jerez from 1952 to 1957. From 1957 to 1967, he was the president of the provincial government of Cadiz. After that, he became a deputy in the Cortes, which was like a parliament.

See also

In Spanish: Álvaro Domecq Díez para niños