Venezia Stadium Guide: Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo

The second-oldest stadium in Italy behind Genoa’s Luigi Ferraris, Venezia’s Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo is as unique as Venice itself.

Situated at the south-eastern edge of the city on the island of Sant’Elena, the stadium opened in 1913 and there has seldom been a dull decade since.

Initially fitted with a running track, the Penzo could host around 15,000 when it opened, before capacity gradually increased to just north of 25,000 in the mid-1960s. The tornado that hit Venice in September 1970 forced the club to cut the capacity by more than three quarters, but courtesy of the addition of temporary stands it had been increased by the time the Lagunari returned to Serie A in 1998.

Venezia’s bankruptcies in 2005 and 2009 cast serious doubts over the Penzo’s future, but it was rescued by Joe Tacopina’s consortium in 2015, with another facelift following six years later.

The steady increase in football tourism has made the Penzo one of the bucket-list venues across European football and if you’re planning a visit to Venice, here is all you need to know.

What Makes It Special

The location. Italy has its fair share of picturesque grounds but the Penzo is up there with the very best of them.

Where else could you watch a match in a stadium nestled on an island within a lagoon? Surrounded by water and only accessible by boat or on foot, the Penzo, like Venice, is beautifully idiosyncratic.

It bears no resemblance to the grand buildings the city is famous for. With its basic, uncovered metal stands on three sides of the ground, it sits proudly at the opposite end of the spectrum.

It is dated, shabby and yet oozes calcio history. Perhaps more strikingly, it has remained just about functional, despite being battered by huge storms over the years and being almost abandoned to its fate through Venezia’s all too regular flirtations with bankruptcy.

With the Neroverdi set to leave the iconic Sant’Elena venue – possibly in 2027 – time to visit this gem of a ground is running out.

How To Get There

The stadium is on the island of Sant’Elena, adjacent to the grounds of the Venice Biennale. It is accessible by foot or by vaporetto — the public water bus, route 4.1 and 5.1 – and is about a 30-minute walk from Piazza San Marco along the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront, past the Venice Biennale grounds and directly to the island.

If taking the water bus, the closest stop is a five-minute walk from the ground

Map

Neighbourhood Tips

Venezia fans gather to drink at Vincent Bar. Around 100m from the stadium gates, this is the ideal spot to grab a last-minute pint before kick-off or a sandwich as you watch the crowd filter through the turnstiles.

Situated almost next to the Sant’ Elena water bus stop, Bar Al Parco is also a good option. Don’t expect the kind of luxurious atmosphere Venice is famous for, but this bar is perfect for a Campari Spritz before or after the game.

Further away from the ground, you will stumble across fans at Bar Strani on Via Garibaldi, which is about a 15-minute walk from the stadium. If you fancy something slightly more refined, you won’t be too far from Bar alle Colonette and El Refolo, two Venetian staples on the same street.

Need to Know

The Curva Sud is home to the ultras and a sight to behold with its cascade of black, orange and green. As many as six different ultras groups call the Curva Sud their home, with another at the opposite end of the ground in the Curva Nord, by the away end.

Like many other grounds across Italy, the stadium is named after World War I pilot Pier Luigi Penzo.

Tickets

The ticket collection points are located behind the main stand. Our guide to buying tickets has all the information.