Artemio Franchi.

History

About Artemio Franchi

Stadio Artemio Franchi opened on 13 September 1931 in the Campo di Marte district on the eastern edge of central Florence as Stadio Giovanni Berta — the original name commemorating a young Florentine fascist killed in 1921, dropped after the Second World War in favour of Stadio Comunale and renamed a third and final time in 1991 to honour Artemio Franchi, the Florentine football administrator who served as president of UEFA from 1973 until his death in 1983. The architectural commission went to a then twenty-nine-year-old Pier Luigi Nervi, the engineer-architect who would later design the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, the Pirelli Tower in Milan and the audience hall at the Vatican; the Florence stadium was Nervi's first major built work and remains the project that established his reputation. The defining elements — the cantilevered concrete roof over the Maratona stand, projecting more than twenty metres without intermediate supports, and the three exposed helical access staircases at the southern, northern and eastern corners — were structural innovations in reinforced concrete that influenced sports architecture worldwide for the rest of the twentieth century. The free-standing Torre di Maratona observation tower at the southern end, also by Nervi, completes the ensemble. Successive refurbishments for the 1934 and 1990 World Cups added a roof over the Tribuna and modernised the seating bowl while preserving the Nervi structures themselves, all of which are now protected as historic monuments by the Italian heritage ministry.

Seating layout

Artemio Franchi seating plan & capacity

The Franchi's seating bowl is a relatively shallow, broad rectangle by modern standards — a product of its 1930s footprint and the heritage protections that have prevented any significant rebuild. Sight lines from the lower Tribuna and Maratona midfield are excellent; the upper Curva Fiesole is steeper and is where the bulk of the singing section gathers. There is no continuous third tier and no executive ring above the touchlines, which keeps the atmosphere closer to the pitch than at most contemporary European stadiums. Premium hospitality is concentrated in the central Tribuna under the Nervi roof.

• Curva Fiesole (North Curve)

  Stand behind the north goal — the spiritual home of Fiorentina's most vocal support and the headquarters of the Viola ultras, including the long-running Collettivo Autonomo Viola and other historic groupings. Named for the hilltop town of Fiesole visible to the north-east of the stadium.

• Curva Ferrovia (South Curve)

  Stand behind the opposite goal, named for the railway line (Florence-Rome) that passes immediately south of the ground. Houses the away allocation in a corner section for Serie A and European fixtures.

• Tribuna (West Stand)

  Two-tier main stand along the touchline, with the directors' box, the players' tunnel and the press tribune. Covered by the original Nervi cantilevered roof — the architectural signature of the ground.

• Maratona (East Stand)

  Two-tier stand opposite the Tribuna, fronted at the southern end by the Torre di Maratona observation tower. Named for the marathon route of the inaugural 1931 Italian athletics championships hosted at the ground.

Getting there

How to get to Artemio Franchi

Artemio Franchi is at 50137, Florence, Italy.

Train

Firenze Campo di Marte station — on the Florence-Rome and Florence-Bologna lines — is a 5-minute walk from the south side of the ground. Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the city's main station, is a 10-minute regional train ride to Campo di Marte or roughly 30 minutes on foot.

Bus

ATAF city bus routes 10, 11, 17 and 20 stop on Viale Manfredo Fanti and Viale dei Mille within a short walk of the turnstiles. Matchday frequencies are increased on Serie A weekends.

Walk

From the Duomo / central Florence: roughly 30-40 minutes on foot via Piazza Beccaria and Viale Antonio Gramsci.

Drive

From the A1 (Autostrada del Sole) take the Firenze Sud exit and follow Lungarno del Tempio north-east to Viale dei Mille. Approach via Viale Manfredo Fanti.

Parking

On-street parking within a kilometre of the ground is heavily restricted on matchdays (ZTL — Zona a Traffico Limitato — applies in much of central Florence). Car parks at Piazza Alberti and Parterre Park (near Piazza della Libertà) are the most common matchday options, with onward bus or walk to the stadium.

FAQ

Artemio Franchi ticket FAQs