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Naples, Maradona’s coming back. It’s began the restoration of Maradona’s mural

Naples, Maradona’s coming back. It’s began the restoration of Maradona’s mural

Brought to light the symbol of a glorious past for giving a better future to the “spanish neighbourhood”, the heart of naples. This is the salvatore iodice’s spirit, a carpenter famous forhis activity of street furniture, that he has been able to realise just with refuse and garbage, now he’s restoring maradona’s mural, the most famous neapolitan icon (he won the “scudetto” in 1987).

The mural is scarred by an abusive window, that was built in the middle of Diego’s face, thanks to Salvatore, Maradona will have his face again.

The picture of the “Pibe de Oro” is towering on the front of a building at Quartieri Spagnoli where the picture of diego; who is running behind the ball is almost faded. It was painted by a young inhabitant of the district, who misteriously disapperead in Netherlands…

It was the yearof the championchip the whole city was tinged with blue light, the rappresentations of that incredible team were multiplied. In the heart of the spanish neighborhoods, that’s to say in the heart of Naples the biggest was born!

Salvatore Iodice,is also called “the artist-carpenter” because his activity has givennew life cultural (but not only cultural) changes,he started the mural’s reparation on 27th of february,but he spent last year collecting money for “Maradona’s new face” and also thinking about the better way to recreate Diego’s image,Salvatore said:”a lot of people gave me the money, they offered from 5 to 200 euro,everyone wanted to participate,i wrote their names one by one because i know they they trust in me and now i’m going to give them what i promised.

There will be a movie based on this event entitled “I put my face” – because I have always put my face for Naples – said Salvatore .

Salvatore put together one thousand euros and then he asked the municipality the crone that he needs in order to climb on the building.

Salvatore’s re-creation will be completed with original colours, those belonging to the team.

He assures that when he does the face of the Pibe,the bulk will be done. It is checked an abusive window on the building facade instead of the face of Maradona. In the flat where is tha facade, lives Mr.Ciro who immediately has made himself available to Salvatore: “He is a fan of the Napoli team. When the team loses a match, he cries. He told me that each evening he was angry because the picture of Maradona on his window was now almost disappeared.When he bought th eflat,the window was already there and he immediately made his home available. I wanted to paint on the roller shutter,only a week ago, then i had the idea of a wood panel that could open like a window and i built it yesterday.He let me go into his house to do it. He wouldn’t hardly ever open that window because he didn’t want to ruin Maradona now he is proud to have helped to bring him back to his original splendor.

Salvarore has discovered that there is an earring on Maradona’s ear,like a Swarovsky crystal. “The lady who lives in the appartment next to Ciro told me that she had a zippers shop and she gave the “earring” to the boy that made the mural. It’s attached with glue and it is still there after 30 years, I’ll make a silicon reinforcement and I’ll paint all around” – Salvatore said.

Salvatore couldn’t sleep in these days : “I’m really under pressure, I’ve got all eyes on me, journalist call me at all hours. I have to do the job as it shuold be done and I’ll give to Maradona his origina splendor”.

For Salvatore the mural has a highly simbolic value: “the completation of ths project will make it clear to everyone that the re-birth of a neighborhoods it’s possible! Here the people don’t shoot anymore and they don’t sell anymore drugs so…the far west is gone” 

(Di Ilaria Puglia, traduzione di Carolina Soria)

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