San Francisco Street in Alicante, popularly known as Mushroom Street, has been the target of vandalism. One of the ten mushroom-shaped figures, recently restored, has appeared with graffiti on its trunk. This incident occurs shortly after the first restoration of the sculptures in thirteen years, just as the street fills with visitors during the Holy Week break.
The graffiti is located on the first mushroom in the direction from Calvo Sotelo Square towards the Portal de Elche. This small blemish contrasts with the recent repair, painting, and varnishing intervention that the figures received in the workshop of José Manuel García Esquiva, known as "Pachi", the same artist who created them thirteen years ago.
“"The main thing is a bit more vigilance against the hooligans who destroy the mushrooms. If this is not mistreated, it can last a long time, but of course, if it is mistreated, it lasts less."
During the restoration work, García Esquiva had already emphasized the need for greater vigilance to protect his works from vandalism. It should be remembered that graffiti on public furniture in Alicante is subject to fines ranging from 750 to 1,500 euros, according to the city's Civic Coexistence Ordinance.
The renovation of the space, which included repainting the ground, restoring the mushrooms, and replacing playgrounds, was carried out between February and March 2026. The work concluded on time for Holy Week, as promised by the municipal government. However, the renovation also brought a spelling error in the signage of the play areas, where it reads "calle San Franciso" instead of "calle San Francisco".
The Alicante City Council awarded the renovation project at the end of 2025 with a budget of 111,150 euros, with the aim of restoring Mushroom Street to the appearance that revitalized it in 2013, turning it into a symbol of the city and one of its most unique postcards.
