Plaza México, Bullfighting arena in Ciudad de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
Plaza México is a bullring in the Ciudad de los Deportes neighborhood of Mexico City, next to the Estadio de la Ciudad de los Deportes. The reinforced-concrete structure has a ring 43 meters in diameter set 20 meters below the surrounding streets, with 49 rows of seating plus boxes and sculptures by Alfredo Just around it.
Neguib Simón, a Yucatecan businessman of Lebanese origin, promoted the project, and engineer Modesto C. Rolland directed construction, which began on 1 December 1924 on the site of a brickyard; the plaza opened on 5 February 1946. It replaced the Toreo de la Condesa, a bullring in the Roma neighbourhood that rapid population growth had overwhelmed. The inaugural corrida featured Luis Castro "El Soldado", Manuel Rodríguez "Manolete" and Luis Procuna with bulls from San Mateo.
Bullfights take place mainly between November and January, with major Sunday events drawing large audiences. On Fridays, young toreros perform as they take their first steps in the ring.
The arena has several entrances leading down to the lower grandstands, along with vendor areas inside. Modern lighting allows events to continue after dark.
The ring lies 20 meters below the surrounding streets, and the stands rise 35.9 meters from the sand, with 49 rows plus boxes. The Valencian sculptor Alfredo Just made the sculptures that surround the building; they are not on the gates. The first bull, Jardinero, number 33, entered through a gate opened by José Medina in 1946.
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