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Giant depictions of bulls along major roads may surprise and amaze newcomers to Spain. Those who are more familiar with Spain will no longer be surprised by the 14 meter high, completely black colossi. At first glance, the lifelike silhouettes can seem pretty threatening, but most people's judgment quickly changes to 'funny and oh so Spanish'.
The bulls first appeared on the roads in 1956. More than 500 were placed all over Spain as part of a daring ad campaign for Osborne sherry. Then the brand name appeared in red colors on the images and the bulls were made of wood. To ensure a longer life, the wooden ones were replaced in the 1960s by metal versions, which weigh as much as 4,000 kilos.
However, in 1994 the Spanish government decided to remove all metal bulls. That was part of a policy to curb the number of advertisements along roads. But the population did not agree. A campaign under the slogan 'Save the bull' received massive support. It turned out that the bulls were now seen as so typically Spanish that their removal was perceived as a kind of betrayal of Spain. The government succumbed to that pressure and came up with an acceptable compromise: the bulls stay, but the advertising disappears.
Still, the story of the Osborne bulls didn't have a happy ending. The problem was and is that everything that is seen as typically Spanish can count on resistance. Many people in Catalonia and the Basque Country, wanting to separate their regions from Spain, saw the bulls as a symbol of oppression. Those feelings were celebrated on the bulls and many suffered from vandalism.
After all, the Osborne company was not happy that their bulls were labeled 'national treasures and artistic heritage' by a court in 2005. The company not only lost the exclusive right to the image, but could also do nothing financially against companies that used the so well-established image of the bull as a print for their T-shirts, ashtrays, coffee cups, posters and so on.
And with that (at least for the time being) ends the saga of the giant bulls. Their number has now fallen from over 500 to 91 since 1956. Over the years, many have disappeared to make way for housing projects or the construction of new roads.
Most are still in the provinces of Andalusia (23), Castilla and Leon (14) and Valencia (11). The closest in our region is the black colossus along the N-332 near Santa Pola.
