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)}}