Monument to Dámaso González in Albacete

Dámaso González Monument is a bronze sculpture in the Spanish city of Albacete, dedicated to one of the most celebrated bullfighters in the city's history. It stands right beside the main gate of the local bullring, on Calle Feria, and ranks among the clearest symbols of Albacete's bullfighting tradition.

Who was Dámaso González?

Dámaso González Carrasco was born on 11 September 1948 in Albacete, into a family involved in cattle raising. He got his start in amateur capeas around the La Mancha region before stepping into professional arenas. For roughly three decades — from the late 1970s through the 1980s and into the 1990s — he was ranked among the leading figures of Spanish bullfighting nationwide. He died on 26 August 2017 in Madrid at the age of 68, and his funeral back home in Albacete drew large crowds of mourners.

What does the statue show?

Created by sculptor Pedro Requejo Novoa, the piece captures the bullfighter mid-motion, executing a pass with the muleta — one of the most recognizable gestures of the craft. The monument stands about two metres tall and weighs around 250 kilograms. Casting it in bronze gives it the durability and weight befitting a tribute meant to keep a local figure's memory alive across generations.

Why does this spot matter so much to locals?

For Albacete, Dámaso González was never just an athlete — he was treated as a symbol of the city and an ambassador of its bullfighting culture. He fought 103 afternoons in the city's own bullring, and gave away many of those performances for free, directing the proceeds to local charitable causes, including institutions supporting people with disabilities. His standing reached beyond Albacete too: at the famous Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, a mosaic honors his memory, describing him as a model of composure and human virtue for generations of bullfighters that followed. The Provincial Council of Albacete later awarded him, posthumously, the Gold Medal of the Province — its highest distinction.

When was the monument unveiled, and where exactly is it?

The statue was inaugurated on 11 September 2015 — his birthday — lending the ceremony a clear symbolic weight. It stands at the main entrance of the Plaza de Toros de Albacete, on Calle Feria, a location tightly bound to his career, since it was on that very arena's sand that he performed countless times in front of his hometown crowd. The spot makes the monument a natural stop for anyone visiting the bullring complex or the adjoining fairground area.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The monument sits right next to the Plaza de Toros de Albacete, one of the more significant bullrings in the Castilla-La Mancha region. The surrounding Calle Feria area also hosts the renowned Feria de Albacete each September, one of Spain's largest city festivals, blending cultural, culinary, and bullfighting programming. Walking from the monument toward the city centre offers a good look at Albacete's architecture and atmosphere — a city for which Dámaso González remains one of its most enduring points of reference.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Dámaso González monument located? At the main entrance of the Plaza de Toros de Albacete, on Calle Feria.

Who was Dámaso González? A bullfighter born in Albacete (1948–2017), regarded as one of Spain's leading matadors of the late 1970s through the 1990s, honored with a memorial mosaic at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid.

When was the monument unveiled? On 11 September 2015, the bullfighter's birthday.

What is the monument made of, and what does it depict? A bronze sculpture roughly two metres tall and weighing about 250 kilograms, showing the bullfighter in a characteristic muleta pass, created by sculptor Pedro Requejo Novoa.