Italy is a country famous for her cinema and contributions to the silver screen throughout history. She has produced incredibly talented writers, directors, and actors, as well as movies. One of the places that these films were made was in Cinecittà Studios, a complex famous for hosting major international productions for almost 80 years, the “Hollywood on the Tiber,” in Rome. However, as times changed, the studio became less profitable in its original form and they had to switch things up and diversify a little, which was how Cinecittà World, an amusement park on the same site, was born. If you are interested in fun and film and are planning on finding a vacation rental in Rome and exploring the city, this might be an interesting spot to pencil into your itinerary.
The Cinecittà Studios were opened in 1937, having been built by Benito Mussolini in an abandoned lot on the Via Tuscolana in Rome. At its height, 350 films were produced on the site a year and Hollywood productions flocked there to make their movies, including classics like, “Ben-Hur,” and, “Cleopatra,” a few years later. Increasingly, however, movies were made outside of studios, on streets and out in the real world, and fewer and fewer big productions came to the studio. From 350 films per annum, the number decreased to only a dozen or so and the studio suffered budget deficits, on average of about $6.8 million a year. Commercials and television productions began to make up the majority of projects shot in the studios and the days of the Hollywood on the Tiber ended.
The Cinecittà Studios were opened in 1937, having been built by Benito Mussolini in an abandoned lot on the Via Tuscolana in Rome. At its height, 350 films were produced on the site a year and Hollywood productions flocked there to make their movies, including classics like, “Ben-Hur,” and, “Cleopatra,” a few years later. Increasingly, however, movies were made outside of studios, on streets and out in the real world, and fewer and fewer big productions came to the studio. From 350 films per annum, the number decreased to only a dozen or so and the studio suffered budget deficits, on average of about $6.8 million a year. Commercials and television productions began to make up the majority of projects shot in the studios and the days of the Hollywood on the Tiber ended.
However, instead of closing up shop and giving up, they decided to change their business model and diversify, choosing to celebrate their gilded past by building a dedicated theme park to commemorate it. Officially opened on the 24th of July 2014, Cinecittà World is Italy's first amusement park dedicated to movies and has attractions and rollercoasters inspired by some of the thousands of movies that were once filmed on the same site, as well as different shops and eateries. While it is incredibly sad that the film industry has suffered as it has in Rome, hopefully the renewed interest in Cinecittà Studios will help somewhat in reviving it.
One enters the park through the jaws of the Temple of the Moloch, which was a set seen in the 1914 silent film, “Cabiria”, and then you have 20 attractions to visit from the rollercoasters, to theatres with daily performances of stage shows and screenings, to authentic sets to explore. Each of these elements offers magical experiences in their own right and immersive fun but also offer different options for different people of various ages and inclinations that might be in your party.
There are around eight sets to explore that delve into the stories of movies such as Ben Hur, Gangs of New York, and the War of the Worlds, to name but a very small few. Dante Ferretti is a production designer and three-time Academy Award winner who has worked with the likes of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini and Martin Scorsese and at the studio he was in charge of designing the park and he conceived of one of the most impressive sets that you can explore; a recreation of 1920s Manhattan with its jazz clubs, gangsters, speakeasies, and all sorts of delightful surprises. An extra bonus is that some of the background music on the grounds was composed by the beloved and incredibly famous Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone, who scored Cinecittà classics including Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” in 1968 and Giuseppe Tornatore’s 2000 “Malèna.” The magic and mastery of these soundtracks only adds to the magical and immersive experience that being on these sets offers and really completes the whole thing. It really is the perfect place to get well and truly away from daily life and to completely escape into the magic of the movies!
One enters the park through the jaws of the Temple of the Moloch, which was a set seen in the 1914 silent film, “Cabiria”, and then you have 20 attractions to visit from the rollercoasters, to theatres with daily performances of stage shows and screenings, to authentic sets to explore. Each of these elements offers magical experiences in their own right and immersive fun but also offer different options for different people of various ages and inclinations that might be in your party.
There are around eight sets to explore that delve into the stories of movies such as Ben Hur, Gangs of New York, and the War of the Worlds, to name but a very small few. Dante Ferretti is a production designer and three-time Academy Award winner who has worked with the likes of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini and Martin Scorsese and at the studio he was in charge of designing the park and he conceived of one of the most impressive sets that you can explore; a recreation of 1920s Manhattan with its jazz clubs, gangsters, speakeasies, and all sorts of delightful surprises. An extra bonus is that some of the background music on the grounds was composed by the beloved and incredibly famous Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone, who scored Cinecittà classics including Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” in 1968 and Giuseppe Tornatore’s 2000 “Malèna.” The magic and mastery of these soundtracks only adds to the magical and immersive experience that being on these sets offers and really completes the whole thing. It really is the perfect place to get well and truly away from daily life and to completely escape into the magic of the movies!
In addition to the amazing movie sets to be explore on the grounds, there is also an entire area for kids, a theatre in which to see the permanent show and illusory voyage, “Enigma”, which was designed by Filmmaster, other theatres in which you can take in different stage shows (including a Western, a stunt show, an Italian-themed music, dance and theatre show, and a horror show) and others screenings, there are various stores to shop in and there are four excellent restaurants to choose from, each of which has its own exclusive theme, a different cuisine, and an expert chef in charge.
The attractions on site include a variety of different activities. You can go ice-skating or try your hand at toboggan, experience the thrill of sky-diving without the danger in an indoor wind tunnel, play James Bond in the laser-tag game, go on bumper cars, brave the haunted house, enter the world of Assassin’s Creed, go on various slides and rides, and much more besides.
So, if you’re looking for a fun day out with lots of choice and something for everyone in the group, all in one place, this is just the thing. Plus, if you’re holidaying in Italy and have found a holiday rental in Rome, it is a super-handy place to get to and might be a nice break from all of the seriousness of museums and culture that you have likely been taking in for your whole trip!
The attractions on site include a variety of different activities. You can go ice-skating or try your hand at toboggan, experience the thrill of sky-diving without the danger in an indoor wind tunnel, play James Bond in the laser-tag game, go on bumper cars, brave the haunted house, enter the world of Assassin’s Creed, go on various slides and rides, and much more besides.
So, if you’re looking for a fun day out with lots of choice and something for everyone in the group, all in one place, this is just the thing. Plus, if you’re holidaying in Italy and have found a holiday rental in Rome, it is a super-handy place to get to and might be a nice break from all of the seriousness of museums and culture that you have likely been taking in for your whole trip!