FICO Eataly World opens as a Disneyland for foodies

If the idea of a food theme park excites you, you might want to consider booking tickets to Bologna. FICO Eataly World announced plans to open their doors November 15, in a sprawling space that will span the length of a kilometer and the area of 100,000 square meters. For comparison, that’s bigger than Buckingham Palace, which occupies a space of 77,000 square meters.
FICO (Fabbrica Italiana Contadina, which roughly translates to Italian Farming Factory) Eataly World is a gastronomic mecca, with 40 restaurants and food stalls serving authentic Italian fare. Think pizzerias, fresh pasta and truffles. But the $106 million food park in Bologna will also be much more than a dining space, with workshops, live animals, seminars and farmer’s markets set up to help visitors better understand the food they eat. The indoor farm, for instance, will house 200 live animals including cows, goats, rabbits, donkeys, sheep and pigs. Visitors will learn about Italian agriculture and farming traditions and how their food goes from field to fork. At the dedicated “Factories” space, visitors will be able to watch how their cheese, pasta, prosciutto, and olive oil are made.
The park will also lay claim to the world’s biggest Italian farmer’s market, with 9,000 square meters of stalls selling locally grown, Italian produce. And cooking classes, demonstrations, educational seminars and multimedia exhibits will also be regular events at the park. Eataly is currently present across Italy and the US, in cities like New York, Chicago and Boston. Other locations include Seoul, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, and Istanbul.