page_title: Royal Fair of Algeciras
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Fair of Algeciras / History
caption_attribution_description: Español: Primer cartel de feria de Algeciras fechado en 1830. Esta obra se encuentra depositada en el museo municipal de Algeciras. Fotografía realizada en abril de 2008 para wikimedia. En el texto se lee: «FERIA DE ALGECIRAS HABIENDOSE DIGNADO S.M. AGRACIAR Á ESTA CIUDAD CON REAL PERMISO PARA CELEBRAR una feria anual en los dias UNO, DOS y TRES DE JUNIO, y un mercado el último Juéves de cada mes, ha acordado el ayuntamiento que se inaugure en el presente año y á fin de que se verifique con los posibles atractivos para que los concurrentes encuentren aquellos dias comodidad, abundancia en la Feria y distracciones que puedan recompensarles las molestias del viage, se ha dispuesto lo siguiente. Los ganados que vengan á la Feria se situarán en las inmediaciones del antiguo Cementerio de esta Ciudad y en el terreno frente al Fuerte de Santiago, sin que sus dueños tengan que pagar gastos ni emolumentos de ninguna clase por su tránsito y permanencia en dichos sitios. La comision de Feria fijará los parages de los puestos de venta. El mercado mensual se situará en las afueras de la Plaza de Ntra. Sra. de la Palma á los costados de Sur y Levante. Los referidos tres dias estará la Ciudad iluminada y habrá entre otras diversiones y regocijos públicos, cucañas, regateos de buques, fuegos artificiales, carreras de Gallos y de novillos. Tambien habrá funciones teatrales de declamacion y se espera que una compañia lírica dé algunas óperas trasladándose de la fronteriza Plaza de Gibraltar. El Ayuntamiento se promete que atendidas la favorable situacion de esta Ciudad, las comodidades que ofrece y las distracciones que se preparan habrá una numerosa concurrencia que haráinter esante la Feria y el Mercado, constándole se hallan adoptadas las providencias mas eficaces para la seguridad de los viageros en los tránsitos. Algeciras 9 de Mayo de 1830. El Alcalde Correjidor Ramón María de Sanjuan El Secretario José Mendez Barrera.»
context_page_description: The Royal Fair of Algeciras is the most important annual festival in the Spanish city of Algeciras, held in June each year. Since it was established in 1850 as a cattle market, the fair and the fairground in which it is held have become popular attractions for the people of Algeciras and the surrounding towns of the Campo de Gibraltar. It has moved several times since its establishment and is now held in the Las Colinas area, where Algeciras's Las Palomas bullring is also located.
context_section_description: The Royal Fair was established under a royal warrant in June 1850 as a cattle show held in the area known as El Calvario, to the north of the city in the direction of San Roque. The area was devoid of buildings at the time and was the starting point of a popular pilgrimage known as Los Pinos. According to the poster and various contemporary writers, the first fair included fireworks, ship regattas, horse performances and even a bullfight called the toro de la veta, which was banned a few years later. In addition to the entertainments and the cattle show, goods and craftworks from all parts of the Campo de Gibraltar could be bought at the fair.
  The fair soon became very popular both in the city and neighboring towns. Some of the temporary stalls erected for the annual show became permanent fixtures, which citizens of Algeciras visited on summer evenings. Seven years after the first fair was held, Algeciras's first permanent bullring was constructed in its vicinity but had to be torn down after a few years because of problems with its construction. The La Perseverancia bullring was built to replace it in 1866. In 1877 a promenade called the Alameda de la Feria was constructed and had to be extended in 1914 to accommodate the number of people using it.
  The site of the fair was moved in 1957 to a field north of the Parque María Cristina, due to pressure from development on its former location in El Calvario. The fairground was entered through the park grounds, which were illuminated at night to facilitate drivers and horse riders.
caption: Poster advertising the first fair, held in 1850
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