Overview
Città della Domenica: the children’s park of animals and fairy tales
Città della Domenica (‘Sunday City’) in Perugia is the first family amusement park created in Italy in the 1950s. It has entertained generations for 60 years. This charming 'old-fashioned' park is designed to offer young children an unforgettable opportunity to see animals in nature and to discover the imaginative settings of their favourite fairy tales.
This is the perfect place to spend a special family day, not just on a Sunday!
An amusement and nature park
Just six kilometres from the centre of Perugia, Città della Domenica covers 45 hectares of holm oak, plane tree and oak woods. It was created in the late 1950s by Mario Spagnoli, a Perugian entrepreneur and son of fashion designer Luisa Spagnoli.
The area where the structure stands, historically named Monte Pulito (‘Clean Mountain’) because it lacked any vegetation, is now an area of lush greenery where many animals live, some in the wild. You can easily visit on foot or by taking a small train.
At first, it was just a clay pigeon shooting range, but later it turned into an children’s amusement park, and since the 1980s it has also been involved in environmental conservation and teaching about nature.
Straight out of a fairy tale
Città della Domenica lets you immerse yourself in the world of children’s most beloved fairy tales: there is Pinocchio's village, Little Red Riding Hood's house, Merlin the Wizard's tower, the fairy forest, Sleeping Beauty's castle, and Snow White's little house.
There are also plenty of more dynamic attractions, including a mini-kart track, Fort Apache, an Indian village where you can meet Red Bear, mini-motorboats, a riding school, a labyrinth, a Trojan horse you can all pile inside, and even a rocket that offers magnificent panoramic views of the city of Perugia and the Umbrian countryside.
Various entertainment activities are organised daily for children and parents, from treasure hunts to an adventure game to save the park's resident animals. The falconers' show offers the exciting chance to see trained birds of prey such as owls, buzzards and eagles up close.
One of the most recent attractions added to Città della Domenica is the Talking Forest, a 300-metre-long trail that teaches children to listen to nature.
Designed by Bulgarian artist Kiril Cholakov, it allows children to be protagonists in a story in which they have to pass tests to become messengers for the trees. This exciting and educational experience teaches the value of the forest as an interconnected system of living nature.
Animals in the wild
Many animals roam free in the forest of Città della Domenica. Along the trails, you can spot mammals and birds common to the European continent, as well as exotic species that have adapted to the climate of central Italy. Among them is the mascot of the park, the Asinara donkey, with its white coat. This beautiful animal was saved from extinction thanks to the efforts of Città della Domenica, in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Perugia.
If you climb up the mountain, towards the rocket, you will find the wildlife route, where you can see kangaroos, reindeer, ostriches, yaks, llamas, Patagonian hares, dromedaries, African buffaloes and snowy owls.
In the park, you can find all kinds of animals, from rabbits, both dwarf and giant, to hens, geese, turtle doves, swans, peacocks, cranes, storks, macaws, American bison, African mouflon, llamas and antelopes.
Near the park’s exit, inside Darwin’s Tower, you will find a reptile house, homes to alligators, caimans, and venomous and giant snakes.
