Bologna Stadium Guide: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara

Published on: February 16, 2026

The Stadio Renato Dall’Ara may be old but it remains one of the real beauties of Italian football.

Built in 1927 it hosted games at the World Cup in 1934 and again in 1990, when David Platt scored that swivel volley for England against Belgium in the last 16.

The stadium is notable for its bell tower, or Marathon tower as it is known, being considered the best in Italy in this kind of design, which was built during Benito Mussolini’s time as ruler of the country. Long after Mussolini the tower remains in place and is considered a national monument.

Here’s all you need to know.

What Makes It Special?

The walk to the stadium. It really is spectacular. Bologna is lined with thousands of porticoes, they dominate the city, so getting to the ground with the famous marathon tower can be a delightful experience.

With the San Luca porticoes just behind the Dall’Ara and the walk up to Guardia Hill containing 666 arches, allow time to take it all in. This is one of the best walks to a stadium in the country.

Once inside, this 38,000-capacity arena can bounce with the best of them.

Map

The Stadio Renato Dall’Ara is located in the Saragozza region of the city

How To Get There

That beautiful walk from the city centre to the Saragozza area where the stadium sits will take around 40 minutes.

Or the 21 bus from Sant`Isaia Piazza Malpighi takes 10-15 minutes. From Bologna Centrale head in the direction of Filanda and get off at the stadium.

Neighbourhood Tips

See above. Getting there on foot is a joy.

Also, we have written plenty on this site about the delightful dining experiences to be had in Bologna, and while the area around the stadium can’t quite live up to the historic centre, there are restaurants and bars on Via Andrea Costa and Via Saragozza, so you will not go hungry if getting there early.

Need To Know

The ultras sit in the Curva Nord, officially the Curva Giacomo Bulgarelli after the late Rossoblu legend. Bologna has long had a thriving ultras culture with around 30 separate groups springing up since the Forever Ultras Bologna were founded in 1974.

To take in the noise and colour of the Curva Bulgarelli, good vantage points are the Distinti Laterali and Centrali sections.

Fixtures against Parma and Fiorentina, their biggest and nearest rivals, bring out the best in terms of atmosphere while meetings with Roma also have an edge after the twinning by the two sets of fans broke down in the mid 1990s.