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]
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]
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]
