Famous noblemen such as the Dukes of Maqueda and Pastrana, the Marquis of Velada and Counts Cantillana and Villamediana were the object of such admiration that poets like Góngora and Quevedo wrote about their heroic deeds with bulls.

Although killing bulls on foot or for money was prohibited at the end of the 13th century, noblemen nevertheless engaged in the sport of using spears on them, and what was initially a hunt was transformed into a spectacle.

The Austrias showed great interest in bullfighting from the outset. The Emperor Charles I would even spear bulls himself. They turned bullfighting into a national sport by calling it a Royal Function, in view of the fact that bullfights were attended by the King, members of the royal family and court dignitaries.