The Stadio Adriatico – Giovanni Cornacchia is a

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

in Pescara within the central region of

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

in Italy. The venue opened in 1955 and was designed by the Italian architect

Luigi Piccinato Luigi Piccinato (30 October 1899 – 29 July 1983) was an Italian architect and town planner. Works * ''Urbanistica medioevale'', Florence, 1943 * Napoli Centrale railway station, Naples, 1954 * Stadio Adriatico, Pescara, 1955 * A-Block Apartment ...

. It hosted some preliminary

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

games during the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

. The stadium originated as a multipurpose athletic facility and a center for the Italian National Olympic Committee. The venue hosted several matches for the Italy national football team and was a reserve stadium for the

1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second time (the first being Me ...

. Today, the venue is used primarily for

and athletics, and is the home stadium of Serie C club

Delfino Pescara 1936 Delfino Pescara 1936, commonly referred to as Pescara, is a professional Italian football club based in Pescara, Abruzzo. The club was formed in 1936 and currently plays in Serie C. Pescara has competed in seven seasons in Serie A, 1977–78, ...

. The stadium, which completed renovations in 2009, was the main stadium of the

2009 Mediterranean Games The 2009 Mediterranean Games, officially the XVI Mediterranean Games ( it, XVI Giochi del Mediterraneo) and commonly known as Pescara 2009, was a multi-sport event held in Pescara, Italy, from 26 June to 5 July 2009. It was governed by the Inte ...

History

The oval stadium was designed by Luigi Piccinato, who was inspired by the style of the Roman

Stadio Olimpico The Stadio Olimpico (English: ''Olympic Stadium'') is the largest sports facility in Rome, Italy, seating over 70,000 spectators. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex, north of the city. The structure is owned by the Italian Na ...

, which opened two years earlier. Architecturally, Piccinato notably used

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es to support the

bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row ...

of the Stadio Adriatico. Originally, the stadium had one-level stands and could only accommodate up to 10,000 spectators. After Delfino Pescara's first promotion to Serie A, the top division of Italian football, in 1977, the stadium was widened and expanded with the addition of a second level. The stadium capacity thus increased to 34,000. Prior to the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, when venue security and regulations were less strict, the stadium was able to hold up to 40,000 attendees. In 2009, the stadium was renovated to better accommodate the

, which Pescara hosted. After spending around €15,000,000, the venue capacity was set to 24,400 seats.

Bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row ...

were covered with laminated wood, air-conditioned suites were added, as well as a new press box and modernized elevators. On 22 October 2009, the stadium was renamed to honour Giovanni Cornacchia, an

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

hurdler and native of Pescara.

Gallery

References

External links

Stadium Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stadio Adriatico - Giovanni Cornacchia Pescara Buildings and structures in the Province of Pescara Football venues in Italy Stadiums in Abruzzo Delfino Pescara 1936 Olympic football venues Venues of the 1960 Summer Olympics Serie A venues