Another take on the Rome theme park

From the San Francisco Chronicle

It’s
a safe bet that there are dozens of ancient Rome-themed attractions
around the world, from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas to the Neptune pool
at Hearst Castle. Soon there may even be one in, well, Rome.

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City
officials in Italy’s capital say they want to build an ancient Rome
theme park on the outskirts of the Italian capital to boost declining
tourism.

The aim is to offer a “family friendly entertainment park,” Mauro
Cutrufo, the deputy mayor, told the Times of London. “Our model is
EuroDisney in Paris.”

Cutrufo says the park would focus on the history and monuments of
ancient Rome and would be similar in size to the Disney park in Paris.

Officials said the park – including rides through a replica of the
Colosseum with gladiator combat as the emperor looks on – could bring
an extra 3 million people a year to the Eternal City, the Times
reported.

Planners predict it would occupy 300-400 hectares (750-1,000 acres) and take three to four years to build.

Cutrufo said Thursday that city politicians will debate the plan
after studies have determined how much interest there might be. He says
Rome saw a drop of at least 5 percent in tourist numbers in August
compared with last year.

The Times reported also that plans 10 years ago for a similar theme
park called Roma Vetus, featuring two-thirds scale reproductions of the
Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon, was due for completion by
2000 – and has yet to be constructed.

– Chronicle Staff and News Services