Plans to build a multi-billion euro leisure complex in Aragon, Spain, have been announced at the IAAPA Expo 2007 in Orlando, Florida.

To be called Gran Scala, the €17bn (£13bn, US26bn) entertainment city is to be built on 2,025 hectares in the Aragón desert and will include 32 casinos, hotels, spas and five theme parks.

The project has been initiated by International Leisure Development (ILD), a UK-based consortium of architects, designers and entertainment specialists.

According to an ILD spokesperson, Gran Scala will be modelled as a city, similar to Las Vegas, but one which will take visitors on a historical journey through time, civilizations and cultures.

The development will include 32 hotel-casinos, five large theme parks, a conference centre, several other hotels, hundreds of retail outlets, restaurants, a golf course, a horse race track, an opera, museums, and residential development.

Gran Scala will be designed to include 16 different 'time zones', ranging from the period of Pharaohs through Middle Ages to modern times.

For each time period, two complexes composed of a museum, a hotel and a casino will be developed and themed accordingly to the period in which they are located.

Designs have also been announced for two of the planned five theme parks.

The first park, called Spyland, will be based on the history of spies and secret services, with all rides and attractions themed based on fictionary agents and spies.

The second, to be called Aquantica, will be built as a water park with all rides themed to different periods in time.