Torino Stadium Guide: Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino

Perhaps more than any other landmark in Turin, the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino has charted the evolution of the city from industrial giant to modern cultural hub.

Built in 1933 as the Stadio Benito Mussolini, the ground took on the name Stadio Comunale after World War II and was home to Torino and Juventus until both clubs relocated to the the Stadio Delle Alpi, a stadium built for the 1990 World Cup.

The Comunale was given a new lease of life when it was almost completely rebuilt for the 2006 Winter Olympics, with the two teams returning before the Bianconeri moved to the Allianz Stadium in 2011.

Here’s all you need to know.

What Makes It Special?

History. The Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, as it looks now, opened its doors for the 2006 Winter Olympics but the history runs much deeper.

Torino first moved here in 1963 and it is where Gigi Meroni bamboozled defenders, where Torino won a Derby della Mole by scoring three goals in three minutes after trailing Juve 2-0, and where they won their last Scudetto in 1976. So, this is where the team belongs. The Delle Alpi never felt like home.

It is also home of the original Curva Maratona, the heartbeat of the Granata support. The Maratona may not be the intimidating end it was during the 1970s and 1980s, when it was one of the loudest curvas in football, but on its day it can still generate an incredible atmosphere.

The Grande Torino team who were killed in the 1949 plane crash and who are remembered in the stadium name, never played at the Comunale for their home was the Stadio Filadelfia, just 15 minutes down the road in the Lingotto neighbourhood.

How To Get There

Tram route No 10 connects Turin’s Porta Susa station to the Stadio Olimpico, while bus routes 12, 14, 55, 63 and 74 all stop within a 10-minute walk. A 35-minute walk away from the stadium, Torino Lingotto is the closest metro stop and the closest main train station.

The Stadio Olimpico is a 15-minute cab journey from both Porta Nuova and Porta Susa train stations and a 20-minute drive from Piazza Castello in the centre of town.

Map

Neighbourhood Tips

Sweet Toro and Fragole & BARbera just outside Torino’s old ground in Via Filadelfia are fan favourites with memorabilia in both bars.

Birreria don Giovanni is one of the closest pubs to the ground while the John Lennon Pub is a 20-minute walk away. A Turin institution for over four decades, this feels like a traditional British pub.

Need To Know

The Curva Maratona at the north side of the ground houses the Torino ultras and is accessible via the Corso Agnelli and Corso Sebastopoli gates, while the Curva Primavera at the other end can be accessed via the gates on Via Filadelfia.

As you approach the ground, do not be surprised to see stickers proclaiming ‘Torino tifa Toro’ plastered on every surface. The slogan is Italian for ‘Turin supports Toro’ as the Granata perceive Juventus supporters to be largely from out of town.

Tickets

The ticket collection booths are in Piazzale Grande Torino at the northern end of the ground, on the corner between Corso Agnelli and Corso Sebastopoli. Our guide has all the information on Torino tickets.