These are the 10 Italian football stadiums worth a visit!

Which Italian football stadiums are worth a visit?

The Serie A is known for the passion of the Italians with fierce emotions of supporters in their beautiful stadiums. The passion for Italian football is shared worldwide. Attending a match in one of the biggest Serie A stadiums is a special experience. The smaller Italian football stadiums are also great because of their unique construction, location and characteristics. In this blog you can read why a visit to one of these stadiums should be on top of your list. These are the 10 Italian football stadiums you must see.

Guiseppe Meazza/San Siro

The San Siro stadium is the biggest Italian stadium in terms of capacity and the stadium is also super famous. This is partly due to its unique look but also because 2 major Serie A clubs use the San Siro stadium as their home base. Both AC Milan and Inter Milan play their home games in the Guiseppe Meazza stadium. When AC Milan plays, the stadium is coloured red and when Inter Milan plays, the stadium is coloured blue.

Since 1980, the name of the stadium has been dedicated to the memory of Giuseppe Meazza, one of the greatest Italian footballers who has worn the colours of both Inter and AC Milan. The name San Siro is mainly used by AC Milan supporters because it is the city name where the stadium is located. Due to a renovation the stadium now seats 85,700 supporters. This has made San Siro the largest stadium in Italy. You must go and visit this stadium once in your lifetime! Book your football trip to AC Milan or Inter Milan and visit the San Siro!

Future plans
According to current plans, the San Siro will be partly demolished after the Olympic Games opening ceremony of Milan Cortina 2026, with AC Milan and Inter Milan aiming to play home games at a new venue by 2027.

Club: AC Milan, Inter Milan
Year built: 1926
Capacity: 85,700

Picture source: Prelvini, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Olimpico

This Italian stadium was first called Stadio dei Cipressi and was part of a sports complex in Rome called Foro Italico. AS Roma and SS Lazio both play their home games in Stadio Olimpico, as do AC Milan and Inter Milan in the San Siro stadium. The stadium is fortunately big enough and has room for 72,700 fans. This stadium is definitely worth a visit because it is located in the huge open-air Olympic Park in Rome. Book your football trip to AS Roma or SS Lazio and experience the great atmosphere in the stadium, especially during the Derby’s!

The architect Luigi Walter Moretti was responsible for the design of the stadium that was built between 1928 and 1937. In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in the stadium for which it needed some renovation. Also in 1990, the Italian stadium underwent a renovation for the World Cup. As of 2010, several music stars have performed in the stadium, such as U2, Beyoncé and Madonna.

Future plans
There were big plans for a new shared stadium but these plans have been put on hold due to political reasons. There are rumours that AS Roma want to build their own stadium. Whether this will happen remains to be seen. Of course the supporters hope that in the future they can cheer their club on in a new (own) stadium!

Club: AS Roma, SS Lazio
Year built: 1928
Capacity: 72,700

Stadio San Nicola

The stadium located in Bari was designed by Renzo Piano and is mainly used for home matches of the football club AS Bari. The stadium has a capacity of 58,270, making it the fourth largest Italian football stadium. From a birds-eye view, the stadium looks like a flower. This is because the stadium has been designed with 26 “petals”. The design and the panoramic view from the stands make the San Nicola stadium definitely worth a visit!

In 1987, the construction of this stadium started for the 1990 World Cup. After this, several important matches have been played in this stadium. One of them was the final of the European Cup 1. Red Star Belgrade won on penalties against Olympique Marseille.

Club: AS Bari
Year built: 1987
Capacity: 58,270

Picture source: Vincenzo.togni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, or better known as Stadio San Paolo, stands in the city of Naples and is the home ground of the club SSC Napoli. With 60,240 spectators fitting into the stadium, it is the third largest Italian stadium. The stadium was named Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on 4th December 2020 after the death of football legend Diego Maradona. He had helped Napoli to 2 league titles and was a football hero to the club and many supporters. The impact on the club and fans can still be felt in the city and stadium. This creates a unique atmosphere that you have to experience once!

The Napoli stadium was built in 1948, fifteen years later the stadium was named Stadio San Paolo. In 1968, Italy played against the Soviet Union, it ended 0-0 so Italy was lucky to go through to the final after a coin toss. The Italian stadium was last rebuilt in 1989 for the 1990 World Cup, where several finals were played within the stadium.

Club: SSC Napoli
Year built: 1948
Capacity: 60,240

Picture source: Mister No, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Artemio Franchi

The ACF Fiorentina stadium in Florence is completely built out of cement and has a tower that is 70 metres high! The tower is called the ”Tower of Marathon”, in Italian “Torre di Maratona”. Stadio Artemio Franchi was designed by Pier Luigi Nervi and is considered a masterpiece of Italian rationalist architecture. It can hold almost 50,000 spectators and is home to football club ACF Fiorentina. The name Artemio Franchi comes from the former Italian Football Federation president Artemio Franchi. The history and architecture of Stadio Artemio Franchi make this stadium so unique and definitely worth seeing!

The construction of the stadium started in 1931 during the Italian fascist period from 1922 to 1943. The stadium has a shape of the capital D from above, named after Duce Benito Mussolini. The stadium has been used for many international matches and performances from Madonna and David Bowie, among others!

Future plans
Designs for the renovation of the stadium include a new architectural design integrated with the original design. The landscape and infrastructure around the stadium are also on the renovation schedule. The renovation is expected to be completed in 2026.

Club: ACF Fiorentina
Year built: 1931
Capacity: 47,282

Picture source: Sailko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Renato Dall’ara

This is one of the most unique and beautiful stadiums in Italy! Bologna FC plays its home matches in this multifunctional stadium. The stadium can hold 38,279 supporters divided over one ring with a covered main stand. What is unique about the stadium is the monumental facade with a special tower. The open design and the history of the facade and the tower make this a unique stadium that you must visit at least once.

The Stadio Renato Dall’ara was opened in 1927 and was named in 1983 after a former president of Bologna FC. The stadium hosted both the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The stadium has also been used for concerts.

Future plans
Renovation plans have been approved for a modernised version of the stadium. The renovation would provide a covered stand where more fans can enjoy football. The renovation will leave the historic façade and tower intact and integrate them with a new modern design.

Club: Bologna FC
Year built: 1927
Capacity: 38,279

Picture source: Beric Dondarrion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Arechi

This stadium located in Salerno may not jump out at first sight, but it has a great view over the sea. The club brings a lot of fans with it and the stadium turns into a vibrant place covered in the colour amaranth. The Serie A club Salernitana plays its home games in Stadio Arechi. Stadio Arechi is square and completely uncovered. Despite this, the stadium can hold about 37,800 supporters spread over two floors. The club’s history and the typical Italian look of the stadium make the Arechi stadium special and worth a visit!

The construction of the Salernitana stadium was finished in 1990 after which the national team played a number of matches in it!

Club: US Salernitana 1919
Year built: 1990
Capacity: 37,800

Picture source: Vincenzo.togni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo

This stadium has been the home of Venezia FC football club for over 110 years. It was built in 1913 and had a capacity of 7,000 seats. The location of the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo is special; the stadium is situated on the island Sant’Elena in the Venetian lagoon.

Inside the stadium is really beautiful. The view from the stadium over the Venetian lagoon makes this stadium special enough for a place on this list. From the stands, on a nice day, you can see the sun reflected off the water where ships come and go.

For the promotion to Serie A, some emergency work was done and the capacity was increased to 11,150. The stadium was named in 1913 after pilot Pierluigi Penzo who served in the First World War. During a match of Venezia FC against AC Milan, there were even 26,000 supporters in the stadium!

Club: Venezia FC
Year built: 1913
Capacity: 11,150

Picture source: Jmorrison230582 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Allianz Stadium

The Juventus Stadium, also called Allianz Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home ground of, you guessed it: Juventus FC. The recently renovated stadium can now hold 41,000 fans with the possibility of expansion to accommodate another 15,000 fans. The stadium is located in the northern Italian city of Turin. Book your football trip to Juventus and visit the most modern stadium in Italy to date!

The stadium “Delle Alpi” used to stand on the site of the Allianz stadium. In 2008 the stadium was demolished to make way for the new stadium due to unpopularity among the population. The previous stadium had a capacity of 69,041 spectators which was not used to its maximum. In 2011, the new stadium was opened under the name Juventus Stadium and in 2017 the stadium was given its current name: Allianz Stadium.

Club: Juventus FC
Year built: 2008
Capacity: 41,000

Picture source: Arturo Pardavila, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stadio Friuli

This multifunctional stadium is mainly used by the club Udinese Calcio. Just over 25,000 spectators can fit into the also named Dacia Arena. The stadium underwent renovation in 2013. In 2016 the renovation was finished giving it a new modern look. The capacity of the Udinese stadium has decreased because of the renovation, which used to be over 41,000.

In 1971 the Stadio Friuli was built. The stadium has hosted several important sports, music and cultural events over the years, including the FIFA World Cup in 1990!

Club: Udinese Calcio
Year built: 1971
Capacity: 25,144

Picture source: Pottercomuneo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Honorable mentions

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

This stadium has a typical Italian look because of its characteristic corners and roof construction. Especially for the World Cup in 1990, the stadium was completely rebuilt, which makes it worth a visit. The clubs Genoa FC and Sampdoria play their matches here with the derby della Lanterna always creating a fantastic atmosphere.

Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino

This stadium once held 65,000 spectators. In 2006, the stadium was renovated for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Today, it still holds 28,000 supporters. The supporters are passionate, which makes for a great atmosphere.

Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia

Despite a major renovation, this stadium has retained its history. The clubs Atalanta Bergamo and Unione AlbinoLeffe play their home games here. A renovation is planned for 2023 but the stadium already looks beautiful. Definitely worth a visit!

Serie A stadiums and matches

Going on a city trip to Italy soon? Then visit one of these Italian football stadiums that you must see. If you haven’t planned anything yet, this is your chance. Click on the button to secure your place in one of the Serie A stadiums and watch a live match soon!

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