Napoli gave the green light for a major redesign of Largo Maradona.Image: keystone
January 29, 2026, 12:21 p.mJanuary 29, 2026, 12:21 p.m
After months of debate, a solution is emerging in the dispute over the famous Maradona pilgrimage site in the heart of Naples. The southern Italian city gave the green light for a comprehensive redesign of Largo Maradona.
The small square has been an attraction for tourists and fans of the footballer Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, from all over the world for years. The Argentine played at SSC Napoli from 1984 to 1991 and is considered a legend there.
The Largo Maradona in the middle of the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter), officially called Largo Emanuele De Deo, has been the subject of disputes between traders, residents and authorities for years. Police checks, confiscated stands for Maradona devotional items and unclear permits had repeatedly caused tension.
Maradona mural covered with sheets
Last year the dispute escalated when the police carried out a major raid on Largo Maradona: several stands were confiscated and traders received fines. In protest, the operators covered the pilgrimage site with a plastic sheet. The famous Maradona mural, which shows young Diego in a Napoli jersey on a house wall, was also covered up.
The previously disorderly used and overcrowded area of Largo Maradona will now be transferred to the municipality. This immediately prompted a new design: new paving, benches, plants, shady pergolas and mobile kiosks are planned. Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi speaks of a “new chapter” for Largo Maradona.
Issue of business licenses resolved?
The transfer of the area to the municipality is also intended to eliminate the central point of contention between authorities and traders. The question of the business licenses of street vendors and snack bar operators there was unclear and led to raids. The dealers’ businesses should become legal. (sda/dpa)