Lagartijo
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The final years of the 19th century, such turbulent times in politics, were, conversely, the Golden Years of bullfighting. Among the famous names appearing on the posters for bullfights were Machaquito, Guerrita y Lagartijo, all from Cordoba. Lagartijo’s real name was Rafael Molina Sánchez, and he was born on 27th November 1841 in the District of la Merced. From an early age he was thrilled by the world of bullfighting, and in 1865 his childhood dreams came true when he officially started his bullfighter’s career in Úbeda. He was the first bullfighter to be nicknamed Caliph of bullfighting. His elegant, unruffled style added a novel ingredient to the traditional bravery of the bullfighter. He was one of the first who made bullfighting into an art, for his style and the graceful movements of the capote (cloak) and the way he turned quickly and spiked the bull with the banderillas (barbed stakes). He died in 1900, having previously retired from the ring. His tomb is situated in the Cordoban cemetery of La Salud, and the funeral monument to his name was built by his friend, the sculptor Mateo Inurria.
