Olympic Stadium (Rome)
| Olimpico | |
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| Location | Viale dei Gladiatori, 00135 Rome, Italy |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°56′1.99″N 12°27′17.23″E / 41.9338861°N 12.4547861°E |
| Owner | Italian National Olympic Committee |
| Capacity | 70,634 |
| Surface | Grass 105 × 68 m |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1901 |
| Built | 1928 |
| Opened | 1937 |
| Renovated | 1953 |
| Expanded | 1990 |
| Architect | Annibale Vitellozzi |
| Tenants | |
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S.S. Lazio (1953–present) A.S. Roma (1953–present) Italy national football team (1953–present) (selected matches) Italy national rugby union team (2012–present) |
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The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex, north of the city. The structure is an asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee and it is intended primarily for football. The Stadio Olimpico is the home stadium of Serie A clubs Lazio and Roma and also hosts the Coppa Italia final. It was rebuilt for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and it hosted the tournament final.
Rated an UEFA category four stadium, it has also hosted four European Cup finals, the most recent being the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. Outside football, the stadium is used by the Italian national rugby union team and it is Italy's national athletics stadium. Occasionally, it hosts concerts and events.
Throughout its history, the Stadio Olimpico has undegone several renovations.
In its first stages, the Stadio Olimpico was called the Stadio dei Cipressi. It was designed and constructed within the larger project of the Foro Mussolini (Mussolini Forum) which was renamed Foro Italico after the war.
Construction work began in 1927 directed by the Turinese engineer Angelo Frisa and architect Enrico Del Debbio. The construction was completed in 1932, after a few variations to the original plan. For instance, the construction of masonry stands was not part of the initial plan as, originally, stands consisted of grassed terraces.
In 1937, the construction of a second tier of stairs was started but was interrupted in 1940 due to the outbreak of World War II.
In December 1950, the working site was reopened for the completion of the stadium. The project was entrusted to the engineer Carlo Roccatelli, a member of the Superior Council of Public Works. At first, the plan was for a stadium with a more complex structure than that actually realised. However, the scarcity of funds and the environmental characteristics of the area led to a less ambitious building. On the death of Roccatelli in 1951, the direction of the work was entrusted to architect Annibale Vitellozzi. The stadium now reached a capacity of about 100,000 people, hence the stadium was known as Stadio dei Centomila, until renamed for the 1960 Olympics. The building was inaugurated on 17 May 1953 with a football game between Italy and Hungary.
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