Spezia Stadium Guide: Stadio Alberto Picco

Built on land granted by the Italian Navy after the First World War, the Stadio Alberto Picco has been the home of Spezia Calcio since 1919.

It is named after founding member Alberto Picco — the club’s first goalscorer, who was killed in the conquest of Monte Nero in June 1915 at just 21 years old. A memorial plaque at the entrance has carried his name and those of the club’s other fallen since 1922. 

With a capacity of just over 12,000, the Picco is one of the biggest grounds in Serie C. 

Here is all you need to know.

What Makes It Special?

The Picco is a stadium of contradictions. It is compact to the point of feeling intimate, yet the noise it produces on a full matchday is disproportionate to its dimensions. The stands are close to the pitch and the steep rake of the Curva Ferrovia means you feel part of the game.

The Ferrovia is the defining feature of the ground. Named after the old railway that ran behind it to the military arsenal (now converted into a cycle path), it was originally built in 1964 as a modest concrete terrace of 1000 seats. The ultras moved in during the mid-1970s and never left.

Rebuilt in the early 1990s to a design by the architect Vittorio Gregotti, it became the most imposing stand in the stadium, with a distinctive curved profile and room for more than 4000 supporters. In the summer of 2024, a new roof was added — a sweeping steel arch — completing a renovation project that had been decades in the making. 

The Curva Piscina is opposite the Ferrovia and retains the stadium’s historic character, including the striking 1930s stone entrance gate at the corner of the Tribuna. It is flanked by sculptures of athletes, and is one of the most distinctive architectural features in Italian lower-league football. The Tribuna is dedicated to the 1944 team that won the Scudetto and the names are written in the stands.

From the upper tiers of the Curva Ferrovia, on a clear day you can see out beyond the rooftops towards the Ligurian hills.

How To Get There

La Spezia Centrale railway station is less than a mile from the ground, about a 15-20-minute walk. From the station, head south along Via Fiume then west along Viale Nicolo Fieschi, which brings you directly to the main entrance. 

Local buses on the ATC network stop along Viale Nicolo Fieschi on matchdays. Tickets are available on board. If arriving by car, parking along Viale Nicolo Fieschi and the surrounding streets is possible but it fills quickly for bigger fixtures, so get there early.

Away fans access the Curva Piscina through a dedicated tunnel on the narrow side street Via dei Pioppi, separate from home supporter entry points.

Map

Neighbourhood Tips

There are food trucks selling beer and sandwiches on Viale Nicolo Fieschi just across the road from the ground. Walk further up the same street and you will find yourself on Via Garibaldi, one of La Spezia’s main thoroughfares with several bars and cafes.

Bar Crastan on the corner between Via Garibaldi and Corso Cavour is the perfect spot for a quiet coffee or pre-match drink, while Dal Toscano just down the road is the favourite haunt of Spezia ultras before games. Expect people spilling onto the road with beers in plastic cups, flares and mopeds buzzing about.

L’Idea snack bar on Corso Cavour is decked in Spezia memorabilia but has a quieter vibe and the same goes for Murphy’s Irish Bar in Piazza Domenico Chiodo.

If you fancy a bite to eat, head to Osteria La Carabaccia on Via Roma, L’Osteria della Corte on Via Napoli or Pizzeria Masaniello. All of them are about a 15-minute walk to the ground.

Need To Know

The liveliest section of the stadium is the Curva Ferrovia – home of the ultras. The newest stand in the ground, it has a certain Bolton or Wigan look to it.

Tickets

The ticket collection booths are located on the corner of the Via Dei Pioppi and Viale Nicolo Fieschi, just past the main stand.