Stadio Via del Mare

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = Stadio Via del Mare
nickname =


location = Lecce, Italy flagicon|Italy
broke_ground = 1966
opened = 1966
renovated = 1976
1985
closed =
demolished =
owner = Municipality of Lecce
operator =
surface = Grass
105x68m
construction_cost =
architect =
former_names =
tenants =
U.S. Lecce
seating_capacity =
36,285

Stadio Via del Mare is a multi-use stadium in Lecce, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of U.S. Lecce. The stadium was built in 1966 and holds 36,285 [http://www.fussballtempel.net/uefa/listeuefa2.html] .

Built by Costantino Rozzi, the Via del Mare was inaugurated on September 11, 1966 during a friendly between U.S. Lecce and Spartak Moscow. On October 2 of that year , the first match between teams from Italy was played with Lecce beating local rivals Taranto 1-0. The stadium replaced the old Stadio Carlo Pranzo, which was named after a young fatality of World War I from Lecce.

The initial capacity was 16,000 spectators. In 1976, the capacity was increased to 20,500 seats. With the historic first promotion of Lecce to Serie A in 1985 the stadium was almost completely rebuilt and capacity greatly increased to 55,000. Both the Curva Nord, now the terrace of the organized fan groups led by the "Ultras Lecce", and Curva Sud, where "Gioventù" are based were rebuilt. The tribuna and Distini were also upgraded and then, to ensure that all seats were numbered, capacity was reduced to the current 40,670 seats.

The seats are colored red and yellow (the colours of U.S. Lecce) and on the "Tribuna Est" is an inscription of "U.S. Lecce". After this almost total renovation, the stadium in Lecce, along with the Stadio Friuli in Udine, was the only stadium ready for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. However the venue allocated to the Puglia region went to the Stadio San Nicola in Bari, which caused some controversy.

During the first day of the Serie B 2007-08 championship, the press room of the stadium was named after the local journalist Sergio Vantaggiato, who died in August 2007. The plaque was presented by his son, Martino, in the presence of various local authorities, the leadership of U.S. Lecce and some journalists of different newspapers.

On November 1, 2007, during a regular training session, lightning struck the ground, killing a Lecce equipment manager.

Outside of football, the stadium hosted a speech by Pope John Paul II in 1991.