Spider-Man Cosplayer Mauro Merlino Walks 300 Plus Miles Across Italy To Spread Love

Mauro Merlino, an Italian Activist is using a Spidey suit and small signs to create "love" and "awareness" on hot Italian issues. Do Superheroes really exist? It appears so...

Italian Activist Mauro Merlino has walked over 300 miles across Italy in a Spider-man costume paid in smiles, not money. Here's why....

Mauro Merlino Fansite / Via mauromerlino.com

Mauro in the square of Modena, Italy holding his "Smiles for Children of Central Italy", for solidarity . His movement started as a result of two earthquakes hitting central Italy in August and December 2016 causing nearly 300 deaths and displacement of thousands of people in the Amatrice, Reiti and Abruzzo regions. Thanks to political red tape and a harsh winter, many are still awaiting reconstruction efforts on their homes and businesses. Families are displaced and some even torn apart. In Spring 2017, Prince Charles had even visited the region asking the European Union for help.

Mauro Merlino "Spider-Man Tour" has encompassed 25 plus Italian Cities, and counting raising smiles and awareness for Earthquake victims.

mantova.tv / Via mantova.tv

In Mantua (Mantova as the Italians say) the local TV station interviewed and created a "Spider-Man special" Video on Live TV discussing the important issues regarding getting earthquake assistance and help to citizens (without politlcal bureaucracy). He made front page of the newspaper "The Voice" the same day. Unfortunately, Italy's emergency disaster recovery program is non existent and unlike the FEMA programs of the USA, many Italians are still waiting for money and funds raised. In August 2016, it is reported over 20 million Euros were raised during an SMS text-fest, yet the citizens haven't received funds yet. Reconstruction effort votes recently passed in Italian Parliment in March and April 2017 yet the cost of repair outweighs the benefit, according to the government. When Merlino heard of this travesty, the first city he marched in was Bologna with his costume holding a small sign "To the Crisis Comes Spider-man".

Making Children Smile is Mauro Merlino's Mission

Mauro Merlino / Via mauromerlino.com

The mission he says is two fold, as told to Noi Donne "We Women" magazine on February 14th, (one of Italy's leading publications for women since 1944), Merlino indicated that he must make children smile in time of crisis. Instead of remembering the bad time, perhaps a superhero can touch a child and make them remember that "Spider-Man was with them". Merlino's random acts of kindness have touched plenty of people, and word is spreading fast. Perhaps we can all learn a thing or two from him.

Local authorities allowed him to climb an ancient building "Piazza Sordello". (Lombardy)

Mantova TV, Voce di Montova / Via vocedimantova.it

Local authorities granted this real life superhero permission to climb the ancient Piazza Sordello in the square of Mantua. It seems the theme is being well received throughout Italy. To date he has visited small towns and communes including Venice, Naples, Reiti, Imola, Rome, Milan, Pisa, Mantova, Bologna, Terni, Lombardy, Modena, Ferrara, and Florence just to name a few. Ironically he has no ties to the region of Italy where the earthquakes occurred.

Bologna TV Makes "Spider-Man" Special

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

The very city it all started in August 2016, Mauro returns to make a "Spider-Man special" youtube video. The video is filmed in Italian but shows him walking through the malls of Bologna bringing smiles to children. He is shown telling the interviewer that bureaucracy does not work, the people need help now and smiles. His message soon went viral with journalists all over Italy.

Much Publicity Surrounds Him

Facebook: video.php / Via Facebook

Rete News 7 made this interview of Merlino .

Mauro Merlino now has an Instagram, though he cannot speak English!

Mauro Merlino Fansite / Via instagram.com

Here Mauro visits Imola, according to his Instagram @MerlinoFansite which is written in English. According to the official MauroMerlino fansite, Merlino only speaks Italian! . He has appeared however in America's NY Post, Italian Tribune , the Local IT, Washington Journal, and on many USA blogs and journals, apparently a big hit with Italian Americans. Currently, USA has over 17 million people who claim Italian ancestry, according to Wikipedia. Italy's current population is 60.8 million people. That's the equivalent of nearly one fifth of the residents of Italy here already!

When Not In Costume...

mauromerlino.com / Via mauromerlino.com

* Outside the costume it seems Mauro Merlino may very well be a real life superhero. Other issues he's fought for include gay rights, stem cell research, and freedom of speech and opinion relating to a libel lawsuit against high Italy's tax giant Equitalia (which he won in 2016.) You can google Mauro Merlino with Keywords Spider-Man or Uomo Ragno (Italian words for Spider-Man) to find out what's new and interesting.