A theme park with the ambition to beat all the others in Europe: for investments, territorial extension and employment. Ludo & Felix (this is the name) will be built in Maddaloni, in the province of Caserta, and will respect all the principles of the new policies for the South. The initial investment is 400 million euros, of which 270 from the PNRR and 130 from private individuals. The area will be connected to an important existing railway junction, a freight transport hub and road links throughout Italy. The detailed project will be presented to the President of the Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca in the next days. It has the characteristics of infrastructures useful in the South, reaffirmed in the recent past convention of Sorrento by the Minister for the South and Territorial Cohesion. Among the focuses of that conference - which was attended by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and the Premier Mario Draghi - Minister Mara Carfagna highlighted in particular "the challenge of the green transition and the development of the tourism sector for the benefit of the territories, for a more attractive South in the Mediterranean”.
The ambition to surpass Disneyland Paris and Gardaland
By applying to become the largest theme park in Europe, the structure also intends to create an induced activity for the commercial activities of the area. “40% of the Park – he said Philip Ferdinand Gustav Vettone, creator of the project – will be intended for public ownership, and the relative profits will be assigned to local institutions to be reinvested in the province of Caserta”. It is the best omen that could lead to a leap in the quality of sustainable and innovative public spending after the golden age of the 60s and 70s when the ancient "Working Land" attracted public and private industries.
The PNRR is a unique opportunity for the South he told us Luca Bianchi from Svimez, but you need to have a vision. So let's take the macro numbers presented for “Ludo & Felix” for good: 3500 new hires between direct (1500) and indirect (2000) related employees. All concentrated in an area of 100 hectares on the site of the former Cementir quarry in Maddaloni which will be completely reclaimed and redeveloped. The occupied area will eventually be larger than Disneyland Paris, which is 58 hectares, and Gardaland, currently Italy's largest theme park. Inside there will be two different communicating areas: Ludo, the theme park real of 40 hectares, and Felix, the cultural pole developed on 60 hectares.
The Municipalities of the surrounding area will benefit from it, as will the metropolitan area of Naples. “It is the only one to date without a tourist-cultural accommodation facility, which is in line with modern Italian structures – commented the mayor of Maddaloni, Andrea De Filippo. The design connection with the environmental requalification and low impact processes which should not find obstacles of a bureaucratic nature, but conditions of harmony between companies and public bodies. The ability of public bodies to make the investments snatched from Europe productive will also be measured on this”.
