LunEur
LunEur (complete name Luna Park Permanente di Roma) was the largest amusement park in Rome and the oldest in Italy, dating back to 1953. It took its name from the Eur district in Rome where it is located. On April 20, 2008, the park closed. The EUR SpA has stated that the decision to close the park was made by the prefetto in order to guarantee the safety of the area.[1]
LunEur was actually the second Luna Park for the city, succeeding the Frederick Ingersoll-built park that closed in the 1930s.
History
The beginning
Initially, the rides were set up for the Agricultural Fair of 1953. Due to its unexpected popularity, however, a decision was made to keep the park open for a period of time every year. In 1960, the 17th Olympic Games were held in Rome, which prompted the decision to extend the park’s season so it was open year round. Five years later, a referendum was held, which led to the amusement park receiving its current name. LunEur stayed open year round from 1960 to 1965.[citation needed]
The lean years and renovations
Although the park maintained its popularity in the years immediately after the Olympics, it went through lean times in the early to mid 2000s.
The park’s sudden closure
In April 2008, one year after the renovations, the park was forced once again to close its doors because of lawsuits brought against it by Slc-Cgil.[citation needed] On the morning of April 14, 2008 the entire area was closed off.
Possible reopening in 2009
On October 10, 2008, Mauro Miccio, managing director of Eur spa, which owns the grounds the park is located on, announced that this historic amusement park might reopen at the beginning of 2009.[2] In order to do so, EUR 16 million was allocated, with 1 million earmarked for modernizing electrical equipment and sanitation facilities and taking care of the park’s plants. The remaining 15 million was to be earmarked for new rides and removing the multitude of obsolete rides. Currently, no further information on the reopening of the park is available.
Rides
Space Container, Jungle River, Pasaje del Terror, Tappeto Elastico, American Circus, Labirinto di Cristallo, Dinosauri, Ruota Panoramica, Gincana, Palla Matta, Seggiolini volanti, Venturer, Nave Pirata, Kosmodromo, Giostre, Rettilario, Nessie, Lideur Boats, Trenino el Paso, Super Truck, Rotoshake, Magica casa, Las Vegas, Creazy Dance, Simulation Theatre, Casa Svizzera, Gonfiabili, Tokaido, Jumbo, Horror House, Tagadà, Tea Cup, Flipper, Miniscooter, and Splash Bowl.
Roller Coasters
All of LunEur's roller coasters have been steel-framed, sit-down roller coasters.[3]
| Ride | Manufacturer | Dates in use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Himalaya | Pinfari | ?1968-2001 | The oldest and largest coaster on the park. This rickety metal coaster rises at least fifty meters above the LunEur. The cars are two seater mini cars, as opposed to the traditional train-style multiple seater roller coasters of today. |
| Thriller | Pinfari | ?-2001 | A steel, sit-down roller coaster that could hold up to 960 rider per hour. The max height was 54.2 ft and ran for 1:15 minutes. The Looping Star was placed where this roller coaster previously stood. |
| Looping Star | Schwarzkopf | 2002–2007 | A steel, sit-down roller coaster. It could hold up to 1,700 riders per hour. The max height was 80.4 ft, with one (1) inversion, and the max speed was 47.9 mph. This roller coaster was leased to Luneur by Bembon Rides and in 2007 was purchased by William Bird (Sales) Ltd. of Ireland who intends on touring Ireland with it. Currently operates under the name Shockwave in Ireland. |
| Bruco Mela | Pinfari | April 2008 | This is a traditional "kiddie" roller coaster, for children about five years and older. The cars consist of sections of a caterpillar, with the first car being the head, and the last car being the tail. The track consists of various ups and downs with a section entering a giant apple. Hence the name Bruco Mela, or Caterpillar Apple. |
| Nessie | April 2008 | The Nessie coaster is built over the central pond of the Luna Park. The cars consist of sections of a sea serpent, complete with multiple flippers with the first car being the head of the serpent, and the last car being the tail. The coaster dips and rises often skimming the water below. Several animatronic creatures jump out or spray water on the passengers. | |
| Tokaido | Pinfari | ?-April 2008 | A steel, sit-down, powered roller coaster in the shape of a figure eight. A single train with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders. The max height was 23 ft and the max speed was 24.9 mph. |
| Treno Delle Miniere | Pinfari | April 2008 | A traditional mine cart ride. Three (3) cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
Access
The nearest metro stations are EUR Magliana, EUR Palasport and EUR Fermi of Line B. Busses 706, 707, 717, 765 and 771 also go the park.
References
- ↑ "Rassegna stampa sul sito di EUR SpA". EUR SpA, April 20, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
- ↑ "All'inizio del 2009 riapre il Luneur" [LunEur to reopen at beginning of 2009] (in Italian). Roma UNO. October 10, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
- ↑ "Amusement Park: Luneur". Rollercoaster DataBase. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
External links
- Sito del LunEur (defunct site)
- LunEur’s page on the EUR SpA website (Italian)