Maradona mural in Naples: closures spark shopkeepers’ protest | OneFootball

Tension in the Spanish Quarters, where the famous mural dedicated to Diego Armando Maradona is located. The Naples Municipal Police conducted a raid in the area known as Largo Maradona, seizing carts, goods, and closing some businesses lacking the necessary permits.

Maradona Mural in Naples: Seizures and Closures at Largo Maradona, Merchants' Protest Erupts

The intervention, reported by Ansa and LaPresse, surprised residents and tourists, who found access to the area restricted.

The Operation by the Municipal Police

According to the authorities, officers from the Avvocata and Chiaia Operational Units, with the support of the Montecalvario Police Station, conducted a large-scale control operation in the Avvocata and Montecalvario districts, focusing particularly on the Maradona mural area, one of Naples' most frequented tourist spots.

During the checks, five carts selling drinks, abandoned and without permits, were seized, as well as two businesses – one food-related and one non-food-related – found to be irregular. The administrative fines amount to 5,000 euros for each business, along with further investigations for illegal occupation of public land (about 9.4 square meters) and lack of a driveway.

The technical offices of the Municipality will now have to verify the urban planning designation of an area of about 200 square meters, which is under further investigation. During the checks, a man was also reported for electricity theft, following the discovery of an illegal connection to the network by a business located in front of Largo Maradona.

Incredulous Tourists: “They Won’t Let Us In, What’s Happening?”

The seizure left many visitors surprised. Tourists, who came to take a photo in front of the large mural, found barriers and checks. Only the large image of Maradona, along with a six-meter statue donated by an Argentine artist, remained visible.

“We don’t understand what’s happening, we just wanted to take a photo of the mural,” says a couple of Argentine tourists, stuck at the entrance of via De Deo.

The Merchants' Protest: “Ready to Cover Maradona’s Face”

After the seizures, the merchants of Largo Maradona reacted firmly. Antonio Esposito, known as Bostik, owner of the bar La Bodega de D10S, explained: “We closed access to the mural yesterday and will do the same today. If the institutions don’t listen to us, we are ready to cover Maradona’s face.”

The symbolic closure turned via De Deo into an off-limits area for the entire day yesterday and, according to reports, will continue in the coming hours. The protest aims to draw the Municipality's attention to the difficulties of local businesses, which rely heavily on the tourist flow linked to the legend of the Pibe de Oro.

A Symbol of Naples at the Center of Controversy

The mural of Diego Armando Maradona, created in 1990 by Mario Filardi and restored several times, has been one of the most visited and photographed symbols of Naples for years. The recent seizure reignites the debate on the management of the area and the balance between legality, tourism, and popular memory.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.