The historical city of Florence, Italy houses the Stadio Artemio Franchi. One of the hotbeds of Italian Football culture and a symbol of pride for the historical city of Florence, the stadium is home to ACF Fiorentina.
Stadio Artemio Franchi Stadium Capacity
The stadium designed by Pier Luigi Nervi and is one of the most prominent examples and the last remaining pieces of the 20th-century architecture in the city. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the Municipality of Florence and has a total seating capacity of 43,147.
One of the distinguishing features of the stadium is the “Tower of Marathon” which bears the stadium’s flagstaff, long associated with the symbol of pride.
History
The stadium was officially opened on 13th September 1931 with a match between Fiorentina and the Austrian side Admira Wein, which the hosts won 1-0. It took another year or so for the stadium to be ready, and it was finally opened to the public in 1932.
The stadium was initially named in the honor of Giovanni Berta, who was regarded by the far right as the “martyr of the fascist revolution”. The stadium which was built during the reign of Benito Mussolini and became the symbol of national pride. The stadium was popularly nicknamed as “Comunale”.
The stadium was renamed to Stadio Artemio Franchi in 1991, in the honor of the former FIGC President Artemio Franchi. The existence of the “Marathon Tower”, remains the last of the relics of II Dulce’s reign.
Major Matches
The stadium was one of the hosts for the 1934 FIFA World Cup, wherein Italy eventually went on to win the title. The World Cup win was instrumental in making Italy a name to reckon with in the world of football.
The stadium was extensively renovated for Italia 90, the second world cup to be played in Italy. It was the FIFA World Cup in 1990 which gave the stadium its current form.
Controversies
On 27th June 2017, the Della Valle family took out an official statement which shocked the people, which said that; “the ownership of ACF Fiorentina it’s absolutely available”.
The announcement brought despair among the local fans, which would leave a big hole in the history of the city.
