Trampantojo Art of Romangordo

In 2016, the little village of Romangordo, near Cáceres in Extremadura, Spain, decided to spruce up some of their buildings’ damaged facades. Instead of whitewashing the walls, they decided to get a little more creative. Using a technique called trampantojo (“trick-eye”), known to most as trompe l’oeil, artists have covered the walls in paintings that, at first glance, look like they might be real.

Using money provided by a nearby nuclear power plant, the public art project has proven to be a successful investment. Three young artists from Extremadura were hired: Jesús Mateos, Jonathan Carranza, and David Bravo “Chefo,” and they created most of the works in the village. Originally, the project was only intended to take advantage of the remodeling of facades, decorating them with rural scenes. But since the original project was such a hit, the village decided to continue with the initiative, adding more paintings every year.

There are currently around 60 paintings spread across the walls and doors of the village buildings. The paintings honor a number of local professions, and some even feature depictions of real people from the village. The works of art continue to draw new visitors to the village, and that’s no optical illusion.