Everything You Need to Know About San Pedro Regalado, the Patron Saint of Bullfighters

Every 13th of May, professionals from all fields, as well as the city of Valladolid, celebrate the feast of San Pedro Regalado. In this article, discover who he was and why he is venerated as the most “taurine” saint in the entire celestial court.

You may already know that San Pedro Regalado is the patron saint of Valladolid and that, around his feast day (13th May), a mini bullfighting festival (miniferia taurina) is organised in the city. This event serves as a prelude to the grand September Fair, which was traditionally held in honour of San Mateo but, for several decades now, has been dedicated to the Virgen de San Lorenzo, the city’s patron saint.

This change was purely due to weather conditions, as by San Mateo’s day (21st September), the climate in Valladolid was generally harsher compared to a fortnight earlier, when the current fair takes place. However, let’s focus on the real subject of this article: the origin of San Pedro Regalado’s feast day. Because, in addition to being the patron saint of Valladolid, what many people don’t know is that he is also the patron saint of bullfighters.

But who was San Pedro Regalado, and how is he linked to tauromachia (bullfighting tradition)?

He was a Franciscan monk born in Valladolid in 1390 and later canonised by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746. Since 1953, he has also been recognised as the patron saint of bullfighters, following a proposal made by the Association of Matadors (Asociación de Matadores).

The reason why he is venerated by bullfighting professionals is as follows:

According to tradition, in the early hours of 25th March, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, San Pedro Regalado was leaving the El Abrojo convent, located in the town of Laguna de Duero, while reciting morning prayers (maitines) with a fellow monk. Suddenly, they were confronted by a bull that had escaped from a festejo taurino (a bullfighting event) held in a nearby village.

The animal, filled with rage, was about to charge at both monks when San Pedro Regalado approached it, commanded it to stop, and miraculously subdued it. He then removed its branding irons, spears, and lances (hierros, lanzas y garrochas), blessed it, and ordered it to return safely to the countryside without harming anyone.

This miracle is depicted in an inscription beneath a painting by Fray Diego de Frutos, which portrays the saint in the very moment of performing the act:

"As San Pedro Regalado left the El Abrojo convent for Valladolid, unaware of a bullfighting event taking place, a bull escaped from the arena and charged at him furiously. The saint, after invoking Heaven, ordered it to kneel, and it obeyed submissively. He then removed the garrochas, blessed it, and commanded it to leave without harming anyone, which the beast did."
Fray Diego de Frutos

Ever since San Pedro Regalado was declared the patron saint of bullfighters, a tradition—now almost forgotten—began among taurine professionals. At the start of every season, they would visit the Monastery of San Pedro Regalado in La Aguilera to have their capotes (bullfighter’s capes) and muletas (smaller red capes used in the final stage of the bullfight) blessed, seeking protection and guidance from the saint for the year ahead.

After all, in a profession as dangerous as bullfighting, where one’s life is at stake in every corrida (bullfight), the shelter and blessing of saints are always welcome. And even more so when the saint in question is as much of a bullfighting enthusiast as San Pedro Regalado himself.