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==History==
Like many of the World Showcase pavilions, the Italy pavilion changed drastically from its early designs to its final construction. When the pavilion was initially being designed, Imagineers wanted to construct an area that would represent Southern Italy which . This area would have include a dark ride attraction, where guests would board gondolas and travel through various Italian scenes. After riding the attraction, guests would be released into the middle of Roman ruins, which they could then walkthrough and explore<ref> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2011/12/italy_pavilion_part_two_1.html </ref>.
Like other early plans for World Showcase (such as Germany's Rhine River Cruise) plans for the Southern Italy section of the pavilion were pushed back until EPCOT Center's Phase II. This delay was mentioned in Walt Disney's EPCOT: Creating the New World of Tomorrow:
In a sense, the Italy pavilion itself is a victim of this cycle of fortune; the area which was to represent Southern Italy – not to mention a splendid replica of Roman ruins – may not be completed until 1983."| Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow (1982)}}
Unfortunately for the Italy pavilion, the money that was originally designated for the Southern Italy expansion was eventually used for the construction of [[Horizons]], [[Journey Into Imagination]], and [[Morocco]] as well as early work on [[The Living Seas]]<ref> http://progresscityusa.com/2009/03/01/neverworlds-epcots-italy-pavilion-phase-ii/ </ref>.
Although without a feature attraction, Italy did open with the rest of World Showcase on October 1, 1982. The pavilion was designed to feature Florentine, Venetian, and Roman architecture, including a 100 ft. recreation of St Mark's Campanile (a bell tower). When the pavilion opened, it housed one restaurant “L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante” and two shops “La Gemma Elegante” and “Il Belle Cristallo”. The pavilion is also home to the Theatre al Fresco where various street performers have been found over the years.
