A theme park centred on the history of Spain is set to open in Toledo in two years’ time, creating over 1,000 directly-linked jobs and expected to attract 15,000 tourists a day.
French operator Puy du Fou is investing €200 million in the new theme park, and work is expected to start next year.
The park will be the venue for a nightly 75-minute live show giving a potted history of the country from its earliest settlers through to the 19th century, in a 25-acre arena seating up to 4,000 spectators at a time.
An ‘historic village’ will be added to the park before 2020, along with restaurants and daytime shows along a similar theme.
Puy du Fou already has a similar park featuring the history of France in Spain’s northern neighbour country.
However, group founder Philippe de Villiers and chairman Nicolas de Villiers said that it will not be a case of France “imposing its vision” on Spain’s history, but that the park will be “entirely Spain-driven” via its manager in the country, Jesús Sáinz.
Toledo has been picked because so many of the events central to the history of Spain took place in Castilla, then one region and occupying the western half of the mainland.
The De Villiers say it will not be “the type of theme park with rollercoasters” where “families are split up for the day”, but will be suitable for and interesting to all ages and both sexes.
And the ‘reporting’ of the country’s centuries-long story will be “completely accurate, faithful and error-free”, given that it will be zealously overseen by Spain’s leading history academies.
According to the operator, discussions are also underway for a similar park in China, with the aim of opening a Puy du Fou park in the country by 2025.
