The capital of Calabria, Catanzaro is known as the City of the Two Seas as it lies on mainland Italy’s narrowest point separating the Ionian from the Thyrennian.

Catanzaro is also home to another one of Italy’s oldest grounds, the Stadio Nicola Ceravolo, which opened its door in 1919 on land that was used as a camp for prisoners of war during World War I.

By 1924, the field was converted to a proper stadium known as the Stadio Militare, a name it would retain until 1957, when it joined the burgeoning list of Italian grounds bearing the name Stadio Comunale.

Catanzaro’s historic promotion to Serie A in 1971 saw them become the first Calabrian side in Italy’s first division, with the Comunale receiving a major facelift as a result.

Two brand new curvas and a covered main stand were built, increasing capacity to just north of 30,000 during the Giallorossi’s spell in Serie A in the early 1980s. Relegated in 1972 and 1978, Catanzaro returned to the top flight in 1980 and avoided the drop for five consecutive seasons.

The Comunale was named after Ceravolo in 1990, a year after the former Catanzaro president and Italian FA vice-president’s passing.

Further renovation followed in 1998, as the main stand was brought closer to the pitch following the removal of the running track.

Plans for a new stadium were submitted five years later, but shelved as the club went bankrupt in 2006 and then again in 2011, an all too-familiar tale in Calcio’s complicated landscape.

Catanzaro’s city council eventually took ownership of the venue and carried out extensive refurbishments between 2011 and 2017, resulting in the Ceravolo being one of Serie B’s most modern grounds.

Stadio Nicola Ceravolo factfile

• Capacity: 14,650
• Club: Catanzaro
• Opened: 1919 (last renovated in 2017)
• Address: Via Francesco Paglia, 88100 Catanzaro

How to get to the Stadio Nicola Ceravolo 

Located near the slopes of the Spezzano mountains, the Ceravolo is not exactly well served by public transport.

Luckily, both Catanzaro’s main train station and the central Piazza Matteotti are only 20 minutes away from the ground.

A cab ride to the stadium takes approximately five minutes from both.

How to get to Catanzaro by train

Catanzaro may be Calabria’s capital, but that does not mean transport connections are plentiful, nor fast. If you are travelling by train, be prepared to change in Cosenza regardless of whether you are travelling from Naples in the north or Reggio Calabria in the south.

How to buy public transport tickets

Public transport will not get you to the stadium, but if you are keen on exploring Catanzaro, tickets are available at AMC ticket offices and authorised selling points, which include newsagents and tobacconists, throughout Catanzaro’s metropolitan area.

Tickets can also be bought on board for a higher fee. A single ticket valid for 90 minutes from validation costs €1.50, or €1.80 when bought on board, while a daily ticket will set you back €4.50.

How to buy Catanzaro tickets

Tickets can be bought online via TicketOne.it or in person at authorised TicketOne sales points and at the ground.