Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos / Fourth-generation Museum

Audiovisual piece designed for holographic display vitrines at the Real de San Carlos Museum.

Credits:

Before facing the bull, the torero gets dressed… with faith.

In the room where he gets ready, only he and his sword handler are present. Preparing in silence and deep focus…
The montera, the torero’s hat, follows its own rules. It may seem like just another part of the outfit, but it holds an old tradition of superstition.
Each bullring has its own chapel. At the Real de San Carlos, it was dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where bullfighters would entrust themselves before entering the ring.
And when the final moment arrives, before the bull comes out… the montera takes center stage. It is used to offer a toast and to greet the audience by tossing it.
If it lands upside down, it’s a good omen. If it lands face up, it’s bad luck—and thus corrected. Tradition says nothing should be left to chance.
To many, bullfighting is art. To others, a sport. But to the toreros, it is also faith and ritual—where superstition and religion walk side by side… on the edge of danger.