Grand Tour Italia: The Resurrection of FICO Bologna, Or Whatever…

In 2017, Bologna became home to one of Italy’s most ambitious food projects: FICO Eataly World. Marketed as a large-scale celebration of Italian gastronomy, the project aimed to combine education, entertainment, and commerce in a single agro-food park. The vision was bold, but the reality proved far more complex. Despite strong backing and international attention, FICO struggled to find a sustainable identity.

The origins: an ambitious concept

FICO — Fabbrica Italiana Contadina — was conceived as a place where visitors could follow food from field to fork. Spread across a vast area on the outskirts of Bologna, it brought together farming displays, food production workshops, restaurants, retail spaces and educational installations. The idea was to create an immersive environment that told the story of Italian food production at scale.

In theory, it offered everything: learning, leisure and consumption in one destination. In practice, this breadth became one of its weaknesses.

The struggles: location, identity and atmosphere

One of FICO’s most significant challenges was its location. Situated in an industrial area outside Bologna’s historic centre, it required a deliberate journey rather than inviting spontaneous visits. This separation from the city’s everyday life made it feel detached from the living food culture Bologna is known for.

Equally problematic was the lack of a clear identity. FICO sat uncomfortably between theme park, shopping centre and educational space. Visitors often found the experience fragmented, with large areas feeling empty and disconnected. The scale that was meant to impress instead created distance and a sense of artificiality.

For locals, the concept struggled to resonate. Much of what FICO showcased already existed — and often more authentically — in neighbourhood markets, trattorie and family-run businesses across Bologna and the surrounding region.

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Closure and reinvention

In 2023, FICO closed temporarily, signalling the need for a fundamental rethink rather than cosmetic changes. The relaunch under the name Grand Tour Italia aims to address some of the original project’s shortcomings, with a stronger narrative structure and a more curated visitor experience.

The new concept focuses on themed areas and a clearer storytelling approach, attempting to move away from the overwhelming sprawl that defined the original park. Whether this restructuring will be enough to shift perceptions remains an open question.

Why rebranding alone may not be enough

Rebranding can change expectations, but it does not automatically resolve structural issues. Location, accessibility and authenticity remain central challenges. Without a stronger connection to everyday food culture, large-scale projects risk feeling performative rather than lived.

This contrast becomes particularly evident when compared with more grounded ways of discovering Bologna’s cuisine, such as walking through historic markets or taking part in smaller, local experiences like a food tour from Bologna, where food is encountered in its natural social and urban context rather than inside a constructed environment.

Looking ahead

Grand Tour Italia represents a second chance — not just for a brand, but for a concept. Its success will depend less on marketing and more on whether it can genuinely reconnect with the rhythms, places and people that define Italian food culture. Bologna does not lack authenticity; the challenge lies in presenting it without distancing it from everyday life.