ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
Spain's top matador, Jose Tomas, was awarded two ears from the first of two bulls that he fought on Sunday during the final bullfight to be held in the Catalonia region.
It was a day of high emotion in the separatist-inclined Catalan capital, Barcelona, Spain's second city.
All 20,000 seats in the historic La Monumental arena were sold out in advance, and touts were charging 1,600 euros for tickets, three times the face value of the top price.
The event marked an impassioned debate over bullfighting which has highlighted political, cultural and economic divisions in modern Spain.
Jose Tomas, considered one of the greatest matadors ever, galvanised the crowd on Sunday. He was awarded two ears from the first of two bulls from El Pilar ranch that he fought.
Known for his courage, Tomas only recently returned to the ring, after a goring in Mexico last year that nearly killed him and he was estimated to be paid 350,000 euros for this corrida.
The law banning bullfighting in autonomous Catalonia was passed by the regional parliament in July last year after a citizens' petition. It comes into effect in January but Sunday was Barcelona's farewell as it is the end of the season.
