Semaine Taurine de Saint-Sever

Semaine Taurine de Saint-Sever: Tradition and Taurine Culture

The Semaine Taurine de Saint-Sever is one of the major cultural and taurine events in the Southwest of France. Organized every year in October by the Peña Jeune Afición, a non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1979 in Saint-Sever, this event has been held since 1985 and is a must-attend gathering for aficionados and lovers of taurine culture.

A Dense and Varied Cultural Program

The Semaine Taurine opens with the vernissage of Toro Expo, a taurine art exhibition bringing together sculptors and painters at the Cloître des Jacobins, a historic classified site in Saint-Sever. Throughout the week, free film screenings, conferences led by personalities from the taurine world, and convivial evenings punctuate the program.

Taurine Highlights

The taurine program is the heart of the Week. A Landes race inaugurates the festivities on the first weekend, while the closing Sunday is dedicated to the main events: a free tienta (selection test for fighting heifers) in the Cloître des Jacobins in the morning, followed by a grand Repas de l'Afición (Afición Meal) and a novillada in the afternoon at the Arènes Henri Capdeville.

Peña Jeune Afición: Guardian of Tradition

The Peña Jeune Afición is an association dedicated to the defense and promotion of bullfighting culture in all its forms. For over forty years, it has worked to pass on the passion for bullfighting to new generations and to keep alive this tradition rooted in the heritage of the Landes region of the Southwest.

Support for Taurine Schools

The Semaine Taurine actively supports local taurine schools, notably the Adour Afición school founded by maestro Richard Milian. The novilladas organized during the festival provide an opportunity for young bullfighters trained in these schools to perform before the Saint-Sever public, thus perpetuating the transmission of the taurine art.

A Convivial Auberge Espagnole

The Sunday morning Auberge Espagnole brings together friendly peñas from the region for a moment of sharing and conviviality. Everyone brings their culinary specialties in a warm atmosphere that illustrates the festive and fraternal spirit of the event.