Alicante inaugurates the Plaza del Pueblo Gitano in Campoamor neighbourhood

The city of Alicante has a newly renamed space. Mayor Luis Barcala inaugurated the Plaza del Pueblo Gitano on Wednesday, located on Marco Oliver Street, between Avenida de Alcoy and José Rico Pérez Stadium, in the Campoamor neighbourhood.

This new plaza serves "as recognition and tribute to a community that has contributed so much to us socially, culturally, and, above all, humanly," detailed the mayor during the unveiling of the plaque. "It is a debt this city has owed for hundreds of years to the community."

The inauguration of the Plaza del Pueblo Gitano, agreed upon by the popular government team and the Vox municipal group, was attended by a large number of Roma promotion associations, representatives from all municipal groups, neighbourhood associations, and civil society entities such as the Federació de Fogueres and Hércules Football Club.

Barcala emphasised that the city "cannot be understood" without the contributions made by the Roma community throughout history. "Alicante is committed and will continue to commit to the absolute integration of the Roma community, mutual understanding, respect among all, and, ultimately, the enrichment we have gained over time from this cultural exchange."

Barcala highlighted that the inauguration of the Plaza del Pueblo Gitano "goes beyond the recognition of a specific day on the calendar and extends to every day of the year with a meeting point and public space that reminds us daily that the Roma community is significant in this city, making the inauguration of this plaza another milestone in Alicante's social, cultural, and human recognition of this community."

Before the mayor's speech, the Councillor for Citizen Attention and Commerce, Lidia López, also spoke, emphasising the multiple emotional, historical, and cultural ties between the city of Alicante and the Roma community, which in 2025 will celebrate the 600th anniversary of their arrival in Spain and has one of the largest communities in the country in this province.