Stadio Flaminio

The Stadio Flaminio is a stadium in Rome. It lies along the Via Flaminia, three kilometres northwest of the city centre, 300 metres away from the Parco di Villa Glori. It is now the home of Italy rugby union national team in its Six Nations tournament home matches.

With a capacity of 42,000 (8,000 covered) [ [http://www.federugby.it/flaminio.asp www.federugby.it] ] it is the smallest of the Six Nations stadiums. It is no longer considered big enough for the Italian national team and there are reports that they will be moving to Genoa. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4811256.stm news.bbc.co.uk] ] The Stadio Flaminio is also the home of A.S. Cisco Roma, an association football team playing in Serie C/2 division.

The interior spaces include a covered swimming pool, rooms for fencing, amateur wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and gymnastics.

History

A first Stadio Flaminio had been built in 1927 on the site of an older stadium constructed in 1911 for the fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy. This first stadium was built for the Partito Nazionale Fascista. The current stadium was built in July 1957 on the site of a stadium with the same name. The design was by Pierluigi and Antonio Nervi.

The Stadio Flaminio served as the venue for the football finals in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Usually devoted to football matches, since 2000 the Stadio Flaminio has also been the home of the Italy national rugby union team.

Michael Jackson performed in this stadium for 3 sold out concerts,in 1988 and 1992.In 1990, Madonna (entertainer) performed to a sold out crowd during her highly anticipated and most controversial world tour, Blond Ambition Tour, in which Pope John Paul II urged fans to boycott the musical extravaganza.

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