/ On July 25, the theme park Leolandia celebrated a major anniversary /

In Capriate San Gervasio, a half-hour drive from Milan and even less from Bergamo, there is a theme park that for decades has accompanied the childhood and adolescence of Italian generations and that also holds the no small merit of being one of the most solid and dynamic entities in the Italian theme park landscape.

We are talking about Leolandia, which celebrated 55 years of business this summer. “We reached this milestone in the middle of a good season,” stated its president, Giuseppe Ira. “Attendance is growing compared to last year, and the results achieved make us optimistic for the coming months. The outlook for the summer is encouraging as well, thanks in part to the Crazy Summer Nights, which make the experience at our park even more attractive by extending the fun every Saturday until evening. Supporting this trend is the ticket policy, which offers even greater value by allowing guests to enjoy at least 2 days at Leolandia with a single ticket.”

A Story That Began in 1971 with Minitalia

It was Sunday, July 25, 1971: Minitalia opened in Capriate and, spanning 180,000sqm, was the largest theme park in the country. It was envisioned by textile entrepreneur Guido Pendezzini, driven by an idea as simple as it was innovative: to create a place where culture, discovery, and entertainment could coexist, allowing Italians to ideally travel across the Peninsula thanks to 160 miniature replicas of the country’s most famous monuments, scaled between 1:25 and 1:50.

While initially established for educational purposes and thus aimed primarily at children, this park soon became an iconic destination not only for school trips, but also for peaceful family outings outside the city in a tranquil green oasis. 

Among its visitors was even Robert Francis Prevost, today Pope Leo XIV in the late 1970s, pictured in front of the replica of St. Peter’s in a photograph that, many years later, traveled around the world.

2007: The Crucial Change in Ownership

The turning point toward today’s park came in 2007 with the entry of the current ownership, headed by the financial company Thorus. This marked the beginning of a profound transformation process that progressively led to the park becoming Leolandia. “When we started this journey, we had a clear goal: to transform Leolandia into a benchmark for families, constantly investing in the quality of the experience rather than simply in the number of attractions, ensuring a level of hospitality ever more attentive to the needs of children, teenagers, and parents,” explained Giuseppe Ira. “Over these years, we have grown without losing our DNA. Today, we are accompanying the evolution of our audience, expanding our offerings with new adrenaline-pumping attractions aimed at older kids as well, without losing what has always set us apart: putting the family at the center. Fifty-five years represent an important milestone, but above all, an incentive to keep innovating.”

Milestones of The Park’s Growth

In June 2009, Minitalia Leolandia inaugurated “Le Rapide di Leonardo,” its first themed attraction, and 2 years later came “La Riva dei Pirati,” its first themed area featuring 6 attractions. Starting in 2010, the park was also the first in Italy to introduce cartoon characters, initially through dedicated shows and attractions, and later with the opening of entire themed areas. This led to the creation of Masha and the Bear’s Forest in 2018, followed by PJ Masks City in 2020. Among the other characters present are Bing and Flop, Thomas the Tank Engine, Bluey and Bingo, alongside the park’s mascots, Leo and Mia.

2023-2026: A Major Development Plan

Having navigated the pandemic relying entirely on its own resources without State aid, since 2023 the park has been the centerpiece of an investment plan worth 30 million euros over 3 years, aimed at further expanding its offerings and matching audience shifts with experiences dedicated to older children up to 14 years old. In 2024, the water area Draghi e Leggende opened, designed to offer fun and refreshment during the summer; the following year brought Crazy Circus, an area dedicated to teens with high-adrenaline attractions such as “Blade Storm,” “Deltaplanet,” and, this past April, “Reversum,” the new spinning coaster by Mack Rides that serves as the symbol of this new phase of development.

Over A Million Visitors A Year And 35 Million Euros in Turnover

Today, Leolandia welcomes over 1 million guests each year, 40% of whom come from outside its region, generates an average turnover of 35 million euros, and offers over 50 attractions, 8 themed areas, an educational farm, an aquarium, a reptile house, and one of the longest operating seasons in the industry, running from Carnival through Epiphany.

This achievement carries even greater value considering that Leolandia is now Italy’s first major theme park fully controlled by domestic private capital, without the involvement of investment funds or multinational entertainment corporations.

Continue reading Games & Parks Industry July-August 2026, page 30

Photos Courtesy: Leolandia

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