Verona: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

The setting for two William Shakespeare’s plays, Verona boasts a rich history. 

From the Arena – the Roman amphitheater, which also happens to be the world’s largest open-air opera venue – to renaissance art, culture is steeped in the fabric of the city.

And so is football, as Verona boasts two clubs, Hellas and Chievo, and one of Italy’s most recognisable stadiums, the Marcantonio Bentegodi. 

Admittedly, Chievo’s fairytale run to Serie A in the early 2000s is nothing but a distant memory, which has all but faded away as the club lost its professional status because of financial turmoil in 2021 and will restart life from Serie D – Italian football’s fourth tier – in 2024.

Chievo’s demise has left Hellas Verona as the sole tenant at the Bentegodi, a stadium which, like many of its Italian counterparts, has always felt too big for the team it hosts.

Built in 1963, the ground is located just south-east of Verona’s historic centre and has excellent transport connections to and from the city.

The scene of Verona’s Scudetto celebrations in 1985, the Bentegodi began hosting Chievo a year later after their promotion to Serie B and received a major facelift ahead of the 1990 World Cup.

A new roof and a new tier were added – with the latter greatly improving visibility – and the Bentegodi hosted three Group E games and Yugoslavia’s thrilling extra time win over Spain in the Round of 16.

Plans to further renovate the bottom tier were outlined in 2009 when Italy considered bidding to host Euro 2016, but were subsequently shelved and the capacity remains just under 40,000.

Today, the Bentegodi remains a good place to watch football, albeit one that is starting to show signs of age, something which will sound familiar to anyone who has read Tim Park’s brilliant book A Season with Verona. 

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi factfile

• Capacity: 39,211
• Club: Hellas Verona
• Opened: 1963
• Address: Piazzale Olimpia, 2, 37138 Verona

How to get to the Bentegodi

The stadium is a 20-minute walk from Verona’s Porta Nuova train station and a 35-minute walk from the Arena, Verona’s Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra.

From Verona’s Porta Nuova train station

• 164 bus towards Garda Autostazione – One stop to Bentegodi B stop right by the ground.
• 11/12/13 bus Stazione Porta Nuova B2 stop towards Bussolengo Autostazione – Four stops Bentegodi B stop right by the ground.

From Verona’s Piazza Bra

• 11/12/13 bus from Piazza Bra Arena A stop towards Via Taormina – Seven stops to Bentegodi B stop right by the ground.

How to buy public transport tickets

Like some major cities in Italy, you can just tap your card when boarding public transport in Verona instead of buying a ticket.

Tickets, however, are available at ATV ticket offices and authorised selling points throughout the city, and at so-called Mover Points. They are also available at vending machines at Porta Nuova train station.

Tickets can also be bought through the ATV app, which can be downloaded on Apple Store and Google Play, and on board, albeit for a higher price.

A single ticket valid for 90 minutes from validation costs €1.50 or €2 if bought on board. 

Outside the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi with Destination Calcio, pre-match, Hellas Verona vs Napoli, Serie A, August 18th 2024How to drive to the Bentegodi

The ground is approximately a six-minute cab journey from both Verona’s Porta Nuova train station and the Arena. A cab-ride from Verona’s international airport takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

How to buy Hellas Verona tickets

Tickets can be bought online via Vivaticket hellasverona.vivaticket.it and vivaticket.it or in person at the Vivaticket sales points and at the club store at the Via Cattaneo 2.

Destination Calcio recommends buying tickets online to avoid disappointment.