Italia in Miniatura (lit.'Italy in Miniature') is a miniature park in Viserba, a frazione of Rimini in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy.[1]
Opened on 4 July 1970,[2] Italia in Miniatura is Italy's fourth-oldest theme park,[1] and attracts 500,000 visitors per year.[3] It features 273 polyurethane models over an outdoor area of 85,000 square metres (910,000 sq ft).[2][4][5] As well as Italian monuments, the models include European landmarks and geographic features such as mountains and volcanoes.[6][7] A 1:5 reproduction of 119 buildings in Venice can be traversed with a gondola ride along the Grand Canal.[8][9] Other attractions include a driving school, a suspended monorail, interactive spaces dedicated to science education,[2][9] a parrot aviary,[10][11] hot air balloons, a log flume,[12] and a Pinocchio-themed train ride.[13][14]
The park is located on the SS16 [it] state road between Rimini and Ravenna,[4][15] on the ancient Via Popilia.[12] It occasionally hosts evenings with late closing hours in the summer.[8][16] The park is owned by Costa Edutainment SpA,[13][17] who also own the Aquarium of Cattolica and the Aquafan [it]water park in Riccione.[18]
History
The miniature park was founded by Ivo Rambaldi, a plumber from Ravenna.[1][4] After visiting Swissminiatur [de], a miniature park near Lugano, Switzerland,[4][6] in 1968,[1] Rambaldi was inspired to create an Italian counterpart;[1][2] he documented his visit on film and began working on the park in his home garage with Sergio Fabbri, his brother-in-law and a modelmaker, and Paolo, his son and a student at an institute of surveyors.[1] Rambaldi travelled 27,000 kilometres (17,000 mi) to visit and measure monuments, taking over 6,200 photographs.[4][19] The first models were monuments from Ravenna: Tomb of Dante, the Capanno Garibaldi,[1] and Sant'Apollinare in Classe,[1][2] which Rambaldi modelled five times.[4] As the project grew, the workshop moved to a warehouse of Rambaldi's elder brother, Anselmo, and reached sixteen craftsmen. The partners decided to site the park in Viserba for its convenience to the SS16 [it] state road, having previously considered sites near the SS72 state road to San Marino and a site adjacent to the Misano World Circuit.[1] The park cost 300 million lire to build.[1][2]
Italia in Miniatura opened on 4 July 1970;[20][9] its inauguration was notable for its rain.[2][4] It was the fourth theme park to open in Italy after Perugia's Città della Domenica [it], Naples' Edenlandia [it] (1965), and Fiabilandia [it] (1966), also in Rimini.[1] Local residents saw the attraction as part of the 1960s Americanisation of the seaside resort.[21] At the time of its inauguration, it numbered between 49 and 61 models,[1][4] many of monuments from Emilia-Romagna,[1] over an outdoor area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft).[4][6]
In May 2012, a Sammarinese association suggested that the park could move to a 300,000-square-metre (3,200,000 sq ft) state-owned agricultural area in Cinque Vie, citing the park's continued threat to relocate from Viserba given its difficulties in acquiring adjacent land.[22]
In March 2014, Costa Edutainment SpA rented the park from the Rambaldi family, with the option to purchase the park after two years, in a deal valued at between €15 million and €16 million. Costa had already acquired the Aquarium of Cattolica in 2000 and Aquafan [it] in Riccione in 2013.[5][23] On 15 April 2015, the previous management company was declared bankrupt after accumulating liabilites exceeding €1.5 million. Its directors were investigated by the Guardia di Finanza for diverting over €500,000 away from creditors,[24] and were acquitted by the Court of Forlì on 24 April 2019.[25]
The park was renovated between 2018 and 2021,[13][20] at a cost of €3 million,[17][20] featuring new attractions Esperimenta, Pinocchio and Pappamondo,[11] and a new entrance with fountains and a statue of a child that is 10 metres (33 ft) tall.[13][26]
The park's grounds include 10,000 plants,[2] half of which are real miniature trees.[2][9] Its canals are filled with 2,500 cubic metres (88,000 cu ft) of water.[2] Eighteen model trains operate in the park.[12][28]
Italia in Miniatura features three restaurants and several kiosks for snacks and ice creams,[9] as well as a picnic area.[7]
The park consists of 273 miniatures over an outdoor area of 85,000 square metres (910,000 sq ft).[2][5] Most of the models are of scale 1:25 (like Sant'Apollinare in Classe), 1:33 (like Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli), and 1:50 (like Milan Cathedral).[1] The models are made of polyurethane,[2][4] which is resistant to the weather.[2] The models are decorated with figurines of people.[12] While most models are of Italian landmarks, a European section includes models from European capitals.[6] Natural features including rivers, waterfalls, and volcanoes are also modelled.[7]
Among notable models, the park features a 1:5 reproduction of 119 buildings in Venice, with a surface area of 6,600 square metres (71,000 sq ft). St Mark's Campanile reaches a height of 20 metres (66 ft).[2] Visitors can ride a gondola through the reproduction of the Grand Canal,[8][9] with an audio guide from Giacomo Casanova.[12] The Venetian sector took nine years to construct.[2]
Cannonacqua is a 1:3 reproduction of Rimini's Castel Sismondo.[12][9] The castle occupies 1,600 square metres (17,000 sq ft), its towers reaching a height of 7 metres (23 ft), and is equipped with 32 water cannons.[2]
Particularly on special evenings,[34] the park hosts live shows by street artists, acrobats, dancers, singers, and musicians.[8] Piazza Italia, a square in the park, hosts many such events.[12][35]
The Scuola Guida Interattiva, June 2012Scuola Guida Interattiva (Interactive Driving School). Measuring 1,300-square-metre (14,000 sq ft), visitors aged 6 to 12 can learn to drive a Fiat 500 through a virtual instructor for printed licences.[2][9] The attraction has been powered by clean energy since 2010.[9]
Monorotaia. The park's 730-metre (2,400 ft) monorail is electrified with 12 motors each producing 4 horsepower using alternating current. The 30-metre (98 ft) train accommodates up to 70 people in 12 carriages, reaching a maximum speed of 12 kilometres per hour (7.5 mph).[2] The monorail is suspended in the air,[9] on average 6 metres (20 ft) above the ground.[2]
The Luna Park della Scienza, June 2012Luna Park della Scienza (Scientific Luna Park). The 420-square-metre (4,500 sq ft) pavilion hosts hosts educational scientific exhibitions in 10 sections,[2] with interactive laboratories with experimental technologies.[9]
Pappamondo. Opened in 2021,[11]Pappamondo is a parrotaviary.[10]
Pinocchio. Opened in 2021,[11] the Pinocchio attraction features a train ride through places and characters inspired by Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio,[13][14] including Mangiafuoco's theatre.[29]
Sling Shot. Modelled as a slingshot, the attraction propels visitors 55 metres (180 ft) into the air.[9][36]
Torre Panoramica (Panoramic Tower), a hot air balloon ride with 80,000 miniature figures of visitors to the park[12]
Vecchia Segheria (Old Sawmill), a log flume[12]
Transport
Start Romagna SpA's route 8 bus serves Italia in Miniatura; the route runs between Rimini's city centre and Viserba railway station.[12][37] The park is located on the SS16 [it] state road between Rimini and Ravenna,[4][15] on the ancient Via Popilia.[12] It is accessed from the Rimini Nord exit of the A14 tolled highway.[12]
Incidents
On 26 April 2010, a 46-year-old woman died after disembarking the Sling Shot attraction.[36][38]
On 2 April 2015, the monorail stopped mid-air with 36 passengers, who were safely rescued by Rimini's fire brigade.[39]
In popular culture
The music video for Tanti auguri [it], a 1978 single by Raffaella Carrà, was filmed at Italia in Miniatura.[40] In June 2022, the park featured in the music video of Tuca Tuca Remix, a single by Carmen Russo and Enzo Paolo Turchi [it] in homage to Carrà.[41]
From the end of the 1970s,[42] the photographer Luigi Ghirri began visiting the park frequently, which he believed resonated with his work on the relationship between fiction and reality.[42][6] Ghirri took 220 photographs of the park, which he first exhibited in 1979.[42]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Italia in Miniatura.
References
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstGambetti, Nicola (2020). "L'Italia in Miniatura: Una storia lunga 50 anni" [Italy in Miniature: A history 50 years long] (PDF). Ariminum. May–June 2020 (in Italian). Rimini Rotary Club: 18–19. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv"Uno dei parchi italiani con più storia" [One of Italy's parks with the most history]. Italia in Miniatura (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ ab"Il modellino del palazzo ducale Ferrara all'Italia in miniatura" [The model of the ducal palace of Ferrara in Italia in Miniatura]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 18 April 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy"Un'impresa che ha dell'incredibile presso Viserba" [An incredible enterprise in Ravenna] (in Italian). Il Resto del Carlino. 8 July 1970. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abc"Cambio della guardia a Italia in Miniatura: il parco acquisito dal gruppo Costa" [Changing of the guard at Italia in Miniatura: The park is acquired by the Costa group]. RiminiToday (in Italian). 19 March 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmnSilvano, Giulio (29 April 2022). "Il grand tour dell'Italia in miniatura di Luigi Ghirri" [Luigi Ghirri's great tour of Italia in Miniatura]. Rivista Studio (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdef"Riparte la stagione dei parchi divertimento, tra le novità il Mondo dei Dinosauri e gli insetti giganti XXL" [The amusement park season starts again: Among the new features, the World of Dinosaurs and the giant XXL insects]. RiminiToday (in Italian). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcde"Italia in Miniatura: funziona l'apertura serale agostana. Prossime date, il 16 e il 23 agosto" [Italia in Miniatura: August evening opening starts. Next dates, August 16th and 23rd.]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 14 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmn"Italia in miniatura festeggia i 40 anni" [Italy in Miniature celebrates 40 years]. Rimini Turismo (in Italian). 19 March 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ ab"Pappagallo perde la via di casa e viene accudito all'Italia in Miniatura" [Parrot loses his way home and is looked after at Italia in Miniatura]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 7 August 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcde"Parchi Costa della Romagna: una grande ripartenza dopo 9 mesi di stop" [Romagna coastline parks: a great restart after 9 months closed]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 16 June 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmnopq"Italia in Miniatura". Rimini Turismo (in Italian). 8 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcdef"Il 6 agosto Italia in Miniatura festeggia 50 anni e regala l'ingresso a 1000 riminesi" [On August 6th, Italia in Miniatura celebrates 50 years and offers admission to 1000 Rimini residents]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 2 August 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ ab"l'Italia in miniatura a 50 anni riparte con mille ingressi" [Italia in Miniatura at 50 years old restarts with a thousand entries]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 30 August 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ ab"Frontale a Rimini: coinvolta bambina di 5 anni. Elisoccorso atterra sulla SS16" [Head-on collision in Rimini: 5-year-old girl involved. Helicopter rescue lands on the SS16.]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 24 July 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"Stelle in pigiama all'Italia in Miniatura" [Stars in pyjamas at Italia in Miniatura]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 11 August 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abSirotti, Annamaria (7 August 2021). "A Rimini, grande festa per i 50 anni di Italia in Miniatura" [In Rimini, a big party for the 50th anniversary of Italia in Miniatura]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"Notte Rosa nei parchi Costa della Romagna. Da Aquafan a Italia in Miniatura animazione e sorprese in pink. Fine settimana di emozioni a Oltremare e Acquario di Cattolica" [Pink Night in the parks of the Romagna coast. From Aquafan to Italia in Miniatura, animation and surprises in pink. Weekend of emotions at Oltremare and Cattolica Aquarium.]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcMontemaggi, Edda (3 August 1973). "Il paradiso dei bambini" [Children's paradise]. La Stampa. p. 6. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcd""Italia in Miniatura traino per il turismo"" [Italia in Miniatura is driving tourism]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 8 August 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^Gattei, Gilberto (16 December 2020). "La storia (vera) dell'Isola delle Rose" [The (true) story of Isola delle Rose]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"Ecso invita 'Italia in Miniatura' a trasferirsi a San Marino" [Ecso invites 'Italia in Miniatura' to move to San Marino]. libertas (in Italian). 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"Italia in Miniatura nuovo gioiello di Costa" [Italia in Miniatura is Costa's new jewel]. Corriere Romagna (in Italian). 19 March 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^Torri, Tommaso (30 March 2017). "Bancarotta fraudolenta, nei guai gli storici patron di Italia in Miniatura". RiminiToday (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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^"Un bambino gigante per l'estate 2020 di Italia in Miniatura" [A giant child for the 2020 summer of Italia in Miniatura]. RiminiToday (in Italian). 26 June 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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^"Italia in Miniatura: l'Italia che non hai mai visto è nelle mani dei bambini" [Italia in Miniatura: the Italy you have never seen is in the hands of children]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 8 April 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcde"Italia in Miniatura si rifà il look e riapre il 1° luglio con oltre 270 attrazioni riprodotte in scala" [Italia in Miniatura gets a new look and reopens on July 1st with over 270 attractions reproduced to scale]. RiminiToday (in Italian). 19 June 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"Un mostro per le strade di Aosta?" [A sculpture for Aosta's streets?]. La Stampa. 23 August 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ ab"Maltempo: flagellata anche l'Italia in Miniatura" [Bad weather: Italia in Miniatura was also hit]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). 7 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcd"Dal Colosseo al Duomo di Milano, le spettacolari foto di Italia in Miniatura sotto la neve" [From the Colosseum to the Cathedral of Milan, the spectacular photos of Italia in Miniatura under the snow]. RiminiToday (in Italian). 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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^"Rete dei trasporti pubblici del Comune di Rimini" [Public transport network of Rimini] (PDF). Start Romagna (in Italian). Retrieved 7 June 2023.
^"Vola sulla fionda e muore: Choc all'Italia in miniatura" [She flies on the 'slingshot' and dies: Shock at Italia in Miniatura]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 26 April 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^Torri, Tommaso (2 April 2015). "Paura a Italia in Miniatura, la monorotaia si blocca coi turisti a bordo" [Fear in Italia in Miniatura: The monorail stops with tourists on board]. RiminiToday (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^Redazione (5 July 2021). "Il cordoglio per la Carrà: a Italia in Miniatura girò il video di Tanti Auguri" [Condolences for Carrà: The video for Tanti Auguri was shot at Italia in Miniatura]. newsrimini.it (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^"A Italia in Miniatura Carmen Russo ed Enzo Paolo Turchi lanciano "Tuca Tuca Remix"" [At Italia in Miniatura, Carmen Russo and Enzo Paolo Turchi launch "Tuca Tuca Remix"]. Corriere Romagna (in Italian). 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
^ abcBonfrisco, Stella (20 April 2022). "Italia in Miniatura: le prospettive di Ghirri" [Italia in Miniatura: Ghirri's perspectives]. Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2024.