Our "Tío Pepe" sign won't return to Madrid's Puerta del Sol. It seems certain.

READ "Madrid Tio Pepe Sign Will Find New Home in Puerta del Sol"!

I'd been hearing murmurs for a couple days now, but couldn't believe it - until now. The murmurs were saying how the city government knew about this from the beginning but chose, for unknown reasons, to hide this little detail.

According to today's Madridiario article, that's what's happening. I guess if I were APPLE, I would naturally want MY OWN APPLE SIGN atop the building I now rent and renovated - as opposed to one advertising sherry - historic or not. APPLE knows that is PRIME advertising space, one EVERYONE will see upon coming to Madrid and one which will be on (nearly) every postcard - or maybe not!

The sign was put-up in 1936 and several attempts have been made to have it removed, but never did for one reason or another; high cost to do so, public outcry, etcetera. It taken down in 2011 "for cleaning and restoration, while the building was being renovated." Uh-huh. That was the story we were all told. Change of tune in the middle of the song, I'd say. I wonder if the sign really was being restored or not. They say they may "hang" the sign somewhere else in Madrid. We'll see.

RTVE article here - with video

Saludos, MadridMan

Damn. That's too bad.

I thought it was declared a historic landmark years ago and because of that I was under the impression that the sign came with the building.

Oh well.

The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.
— Isaac Asimov

I am so sorry to hear this. I love that Tío Pepe sign. I wonder if they will put it somewhere else on the Puerta del Sol? Hmmm... Like Rodolfo, I thought it had been declared a national landmark too.

This IS what we were told, isn't it? All the papers ran that story, that Tio Pepe would remain where it was, it came with the building, that was the agreement.

And it was declared a Historic Landmark, but apparently, not a PROTECTED one. How can THAT be?? Something smells MIGHTY fishy.

On the up-side (and I'm writing about that now) is that the "bodega" is seeking a new rooftop in the Puerta del Sol on which to re-located the sign. I'm hoping/betting on the building over La Mallorquina so it and Apple can face-off!

Saludos, MadridMan

That would be wonderful poetic justice -

If the "bodega" could arrange for the rooftop on the building over La Mallorquina so it and Apple can face-off!

Like others, I thought historic preservation meant just that. That's politics and euros for you.

I own 10 shares of Apple and I would consider leading a MadridMan.com rebellion in support of Tio Pepe at the next annual meeting!;-)

I like Mongo´s idea ! Think of the publicity MM !

Not a bad idea, Mongo! When are you coming back? We'll hold a ceremony below the location where Tío Pepe stood since 1936. We'll call all the local media stations to record it, do interviews, etcetera - WHILE YOU BURN YOUR 10 SHARES OF APPLE STOCK, now worth $5,714 USD! (selling at $571 USD per share) Are you IN?? ARE YOU IN, MONGO?!?! (nah, I wouldn't do it, either. hehehe...)

Saludos, MadridMan

I think I will go for a more symbolic approach. Maybe listening to my Ipod while sipping Tio Pepe!

Apple will win, its like anything else. I just keep my tio Pepe photos for the memories of my old Madrid....

Mongo. Thanks for the giggles.

For what it's worth, I fired the first shot!

I sent this email to the investor reations department at Apple:

"I am an Apple shareholder, consumer of your products and fan of and frequent visitor to Madrid, Spain.

As such, I urge you as a company to do all you can to help restore the historic "Tio Pepe" neon sign to it's traditional place above the Puerta del Sol in Madrid."

Who's with me?!?!?

Matt

Mongo you have 4000 ahead of you, but great idea; its all over twitter and facebook too
http://www.euronews.com/2012/06/06/tio-pepe-vs-apple-an-internet-duel/

its worth the fight.

Ok, I just joined the FB group to save the sign!!!

Viva Tio Pepe!!

I also joined the FB group. There has to be power in numbers!

of course me too

Damn, I was just there last weekend with some family who were visitng and they asked me about that. I felt for sure they would put it back...sort of like the old Osborne Bull...but I guess not.

What a shame!

Apple are pretty ruthless. They do things their way and that's that.

I don't know. Maybe if enough fuss is kicked up it can change the mind of anyone, but with Apple an extra force is needed. All businesses think about is the bottom line, so maybe that's the place to hit?

I don't live in Madrid though? What has happened to this sign, it was practically a landmark