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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. 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 <refname= "Spence"> 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:
{{Quotation|"Few buildings remain perfectly preserved as they were when new. Over the centuries, landlords change; one year they are prosperous, and they build on additions. The next year they’re a little short of funds, so they tear down part of the structure and sell the stones.<br>
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)<ref> Beard, Richard R. Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. New York: Harry N. Abrams,, Publ., 1982. Print. </ref>}}
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)<ref name= "Spence"/>. When the pavilion opened, it housed one restaurant “L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante” and two shops “La Gemma Elegante” and “Il Belle Cristallo”<ref name= "Spence"/>. The pavilion is also home to the Theatre al Fresco where various street performers have been found over the years<ref name= "Spence"/>.
Since its creation, the Italy pavilion has seen a relatively small number of changes. The only major change came in 2007, when L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante closed. Although the restaurant was very popular, Disney chose not to renew the dining contract with the restaurant’s owner Alfredo the Original of Rome Inc. Disney’s decision was due in part to the fact that Alfredo had initially promised to construct a second dining location in the pavilion in 1983. Disney wanted the second restaurant in order to meet the dining demand in World Showcase. With no second restaurant built, and the initial contract now up, Disney decided to instead award the sponsorship to a new company- The Patina Restaurant Group. Following Alfredo’s closure On August 31, 2007, the restaurant was replaced by a new restaurant “Tutto Italia”. Following the change in sponsorship, in 2010 Italy finally got a second restaurant “Via Nopoli”. This was followed by the opening of Tutto Gusto (a wine bar) which opened in 2012.
==Attractions==
