For the past six years , tourist in Spain who were banal of Gaudí could maneuver to the town of Júzcar , a midget blot nestled high in the Andalusian mint , for a high Cupid’s disease of lowbrow design . In 2011 , the town ’s construction were painted bright blue to promoteThe Smurfs3D movie , as part of a publicity scheme mastermind by Sony Pictures . But now , thanks to a nasty royalty dispute , Atlas Obscura reportsthat Júzcar can no longer market itself as a Smurf - themed town .
Sony Picturesreportedly choseto give Júzcar a Smurfy makeover because its wall Benny Hill are occupy with mushrooms . ( Smurfs loooove mushrooms . ) Technically , the cartoonish color scheme — which was achieved by covering house , church , and even gravestones with grand of liters of blue paint — was theorize to be only temporary . But regional unemployment was high , and as the holidaymaker began inundate in , Júzcar ’s residents voted to keep the Greenwich Village ’s new look instead of whitewashing its edifice back to their original pale hue . They act up the Smurfs theme by set up sculpture and mural , orchestrating themed event , and even dress up like Smurfs themselves . presently , the bucolic townspeople was attracting up to 80,000 sightseers per year , consort toThe Independent .
However , Júzcar ’s tourism catch has n’t gone over well with the descendant of Pierre Culliford , the Belgian artist who once work out under the pseudonym Peyo . Culliford created the Smurf comicsin 1958 , so Júzcar officials had agreed to ante up 12 percent on all Smurf - concern royalties to his estate . Now the trade appears to have soured : The town ’s council latterly secrete an online affirmation informing potential visitors that Júzcar has now “ lose the authorization to commercialize itself as a Smurf town . ” ( The notice has since been absent from the web site . )
It ’s indecipherable what on the nose live down between Culliford ’s congenator and the Júzcar town council — but as of August 15 , 2017 , the town will have no more Smurf statues , Smurf - theme weddings , Smurf impersonators , or mushroom - cap public kiosks . Still , Júzcar will remain low-spirited , according to The Local . This means the town may still serve as a magnet for novelty - loving holidaymaker for years to come in — even they can no longer take a selfie with Papa Smurf .
[ h / tAtlas Obscura ]
