From the walls of the university to the soul of the neighbourhood: How Salamanca became the street art capital of the world

Salamanca is a city whose name conjures up images of golden sandstone, ancient cathedrals and one of Europe’s oldest universities. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a guardian of centuries of history. But behind its majestic facades and in the maze of its streets lies another, no less fascinating story — the story of contemporary art, which has chosen the city itself as its canvas. This is the story of how Salamanca, true to its past, managed to fall in love with street art and turn it into a cultural asset and a magnet for tourists.

This transformation was no accident. It grew from a unique soil shaped by three key factors: a deeply rooted local tradition of public inscriptions, the innovative initiative of the residents themselves, and a constant dialogue between centuries-old heritage and bold modernity.

Whispers on the rock — from doctoral ‘vitors’ to the hip-hop underground

The history of wall painting in Salamanca began long before the advent of spray cans. Its unique predecessor is the tradition of «vítor» (signs of honour), which have been painted on the walls of university buildings since the fourteenth century. When a student received his doctorate, his friends would organise a festive procession and inscribe the anagram «Vítor» next to the graduate’s name on the walls of the university. The paint for this, according to legend, was made of ox blood, ochre and varnish.

In essence, it was legitimate, socially sanctioned graffiti, a symbol not of rebellion but of triumph and of belonging to the intellectual elite. This tradition is still alive today: you can find «vitores» on the walls in honour of the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno and even King Juan Carlos I. The existence of the «vitores» has created a unique cultural context in the city: historically, the city has become accustomed to the fact that inscriptions on walls can be a form of honouring, not just vandalism.

Modern graffiti came to Salamanca in the 1980s and 90s with the global wave of hip-hop culture. The first local graffiti writers, or «escritores», were inspired by the New York school. For them, it was an act of self-affirmation. Artist Abel Ferreras, known as Caín, recalls that in the 90s everything was infused with a passion for hip-hop. Early works centred on fonts: quick signatures (tags) and massing their names («bombing»). The main goal was to hone the technique and to make a name for oneself in a small circle of the initiated. It was an era of self-training: artists made «thousands of sketches» and faced a shortage of materials, using ordinary paint cans and flipping nozzles to get thin lines.

Unlike the «vitors» who decorated the city centre, the new graffiti was born on the periphery. Writers consciously avoided the historic centre, showing tacit respect for its heritage. Their canvases became abandoned industrial zones and walls along railway tracks. The Parque Würzburg became a key point of attraction and a kind of «hall of fame». Local crews such as Alto Contraste gathered and competed here.

For the authorities and society, of course, it was vandalism, punishable by fines. For the artists, it was a struggle for the right to urban space, a way of «marking territory». Anonymity and pseudonyms such as Caín or Varas were a necessary precaution. This conflict between subculture and establishment was the starting point for the amazing transformation that awaited the city ahead.

Finding a new voice — a departure from the canons and the first dialogue with the authorities

The early 2000s were a turning point for street art in Salamanca. Artists began to actively search for new forms, going beyond classic graffiti. The arsenal of techniques expanded considerably: stencils, paste-ups and stickers replaced fonts.

Stencils allowed complex images to be applied quickly, shifting the emphasis from the name to the image. Local artist T decoma became one of the masters of this trend, even using recycled X-rays for his stencils. These new techniques opened doors for artists who had no knowledge of classic graffiti and, more importantly, allowed them to create more comprehensible narrative works for a wider audience.

Along with the techniques, the self-perception of the artists changed. From anonymous «raters» they turned into authors with a recognisable style. Caín Ferreras is a prime example. Starting with graffiti, he increasingly turned to figurative painting, creating murals with images of nature and deep philosophical texts. His name was transformed from the main content of the work into a signature underneath it. The content of the works became more complex, with social commentary, reflections on ecology and feminism.

The key event that catalysed this process was the First Graffiti Festival in September 2006. Symbolically, it was held in Würzburg Park, the cradle of the local underground. The initiator was the youth association «Remolino de Arte», but the support of the City Hall played a decisive role. This was the first official co-operation between the authorities and the graffiti community. About a hundred artists from all over Spain transformed almost a kilometre-long wall of the park in three weeks. The festival aimed not only to beautify the space, but also to «break the stereotype» of graffiti artists by showing them as real artists.

This project was a bridge that connected the underground past and the institutionalised future of street art in Salamanca. It removed the «criminal stigma» from graffiti and showed the authorities its constructive potential.

Open Air Gallery — how one neighbourhood changed the whole city

Since 2013, street art in Salamanca has entered its most vibrant phase. The epicentre of this boom has been the Barrio del Oeste neighbourhood and its Galería Urbana (Urban Gallery) project.

This working-class neighbourhood, adjacent to the historic centre, was until recently known for its chaotic development, lack of greenery and dreary, faceless facades covered with meaningless graffiti. The idea for its transformation was born as a result of the synergy between two forces: the active ZOES Neighbourhood Association and the Lemarte art collective. Their goal was simple and ambitious: to turn the street into an artistic environment by replacing vandalistic graffiti with professional works of art.

The impact on the neighbourhood was enormous:

The neighbourhood was transformed into an «open-air museum» with more than 200 works of art. The project has strengthened the sense of community and created an atmosphere of co-creation between residents and artists. ZOES President Inma Seed notes that residents have developed «ownership of the art on their streets.» The Barrio del Oeste has become one of Salamanca’s main alternative attractions, which has stimulated local businesses, especially bars and restaurants.

The gallery has attracted many talents. Here you can see the work of local pioneers such as Caín Ferreras with his photorealistic portraits and poetic texts, and Nego Graff with his bright, humorous pop art works. Pablo S. Herrero has become famous for his monumental monochrome trees, as in «Casa Nido» («Nesting House»). The project has also attracted international stars: Argentine duo Medianeras created the famous owl on León Felipe Street, and one of the world’s most famous muralists, Sfhir, gave the neighbourhood a monumental «Muse of the West» in 2025. The success of Galería Urbana set off a chain reaction: the mayor’s office launched youth programmes to decorate walls throughout the city and the provincial government created the Street Art Provincia de Salamanca project, turning street art into a tool to attract tourists to the countryside. Even big businesses such as the El Corte Inglés department store began commissioning artists to paint facades.

Salamanca’s soul on the walls — what makes local street art unique

What is it that distinguishes Salamanca’s street art? First of all, its intellectual and historical depth. The artists here don’t just paint, they engage in a dialogue with the city.

This trait is perhaps the most unique. Artists not only respectfully bypass the historic centre, but also creatively reinterpret the symbols of the city: the famous frog from the facade of the university or the astronaut from the New Cathedral. Even political protest is included in this dialogue: the periodic pouring of red paint on the bust of the dictator Franco in the Plaza Mayor becomes a powerful artistic statement, using the monument as a canvas.

The walls of Salamanca speak of poignant themes. One of the central themes is feminism: many murals are dedicated to women and their struggle for rights. Environmental motifs are also widespread, ranging from appeals not to litter to praising nature.

Many artists, especially Caín Ferreras, use the walls to publish short, aphoristic phrases and poems. Inscriptions like «Being happy is not enough» or «Look where it can see further» turn the mural into an intellectual message that encourages the passer-by to reflect. This reflects Salamanca’s identity as a «city of knowledge», where words and thought have a special value.

Unlike the huge and chaotic scenes of Madrid or Barcelona, Salamanca’s uniqueness lies in the success of its community model. The identity of the local street art scene is almost entirely shaped by one project, Galería Urbana, which was born out of a close relationship between artists, residents and the neighbourhood itself.

Art at a crossroads — the challenges and future of the Salamanca scene

Today, street art in Salamanca is a mature and recognised phenomenon. But its success has raised new complex issues. The city has developed a dual system. Unauthorised graffiti, especially in the historic area, is punishable by huge fines. At the same time, art created within the framework of legal projects is supported and promoted in every possible way. Street art has become an important tourist and economic asset: tours, maps and even a mobile application have been created to navigate the Galería Urbana.

Success has created three major dilemmas:

Street art is inherently short-lived. Artist Caín Ferreras says he’s resigned to the fact that his work deteriorates, like everything on the street. But turning the neighbourhood into a tourist attraction requires preserving the works. Should living street art be «mummified» by turning it into a museum piece?

The project has breathed new life into the neighbourhood. But its growing popularity and appeal has driven up property prices. It’s a classic sign of gentrification, where natives are displaced by the rising cost of living. Ironically, the success of residents in improving their neighbourhood can set in motion mechanisms that will eventually threaten that community itself.

Legalisation gives artists recognition and royalties, but it has a price. When working on commission, the artist is inevitably faced with the need to conform to expectations and avoid edgy themes. There is a risk that art will become purely decorative and the artist will turn from a social critic into a social decorator.

The history of street art in Salamanca is a unique journey from the underground to world recognition. It began in a land where the tradition of «vitores» has existed for centuries. It started in a land where there was a tradition of «vitores» for centuries, passed through the underground of the 90s and found its ultimate expression in the phenomenon of «Galería Urbana«, an exemplary example of how the initiative of the inhabitants themselves can transform a city. Today, street art is no longer just drawings on walls. It has become a mirror in which Salamanca sees its rich past, reflects on its complex present and tries to discern the contours of its future.