This is a big sports place.
It is in a city called Rome. Many people go there to watch games. It is very large. People love to play and cheer there. Do you like to watch sports?
The Olimpico is a big sports place.
It is in Rome. Many people watch games there. It is the largest sports place in Rome.
Two big soccer teams play there. One team is called Lazio. The other is called Roma. It once had a very large crowd. Now, over 70,000 people can sit there. People even go there to hear music.
It is a place for big fun.
The Stadio Olimpico is a famous sports place in Rome.
It is the largest sports site in the city. More than 70,000 people can sit there to watch games.
Long ago, it was called the Stadio dei Centomila. This name means the Stadium of the 100,000. It was built near a hill called Monte Mario. The ground there was once a swamp. Workers had to raise the field by 4 meters.
Two big soccer teams call this home. They are S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma. A player named Ciro Immobile scored 120 goals there.
The stadium is also very important for the Olympics. It hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics. During those games, Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals.
The stadium also hosts big music shows. In 1998, many people went to see Claudio Baglioni. It is a place where people gather for sport and song.
The Stadio Olimpico is a massive place for sports in Rome, Italy.
It is the largest sports facility in the city. It can hold over 70,000 people at once. This makes it the second-largest stadium in all of Italy. People love coming here to watch exciting games. It is a place where fans gather to cheer for their favorite teams.
Building this stadium was a huge job for many workers. The site was once a swamp near a hill called Monte Mario. To make a flat field, workers had to raise the ground by 4 meters. They used two million cubic meters of soil for this task. The stadium is a concrete structure covered in travertine stone. It has two long stands on the sides. It also has two curved stands at the ends.
Construction began in 1928 under an architect named Enrico Del Debbio. Later, Luigi Moretti helped expand the venue in 1937. World War II stopped the work for a while. During the war, Allied troops used the site to store vehicles. After the war, the Italian National Olympic Committee took over. They finished the work and opened the stadium on 17 May 1953.
On its opening day, Italy played a football game against Hungary. The first person to score a goal there was Nándor Hidegkuti.
The stadium changed its name to Olimpico in 1955. This happened because Rome was chosen to host the 1960 Summer Olympics. During those games, Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in running.
The stadium also hosted the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It even hosted the 2020 European Championship.
Today, the Olimpico is a home for many different things. Two famous football clubs, S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma, play here. One player, Ciro Immobile, scored 120 goals in this stadium.
It is not just for sports, though. Many famous musicians play concerts here too. In 1998, a huge crowd came to see Claudio Baglioni. It remains a special place for sport, music, and history.
The Stadio Olimpico is a massive multi-purpose sports venue in Rome, Italy.
It serves as a central hub for major athletic competitions and massive public gatherings. Currently, the stadium seats over 70,000 spectators. This makes it the largest sports facility in Rome. It is also the second-largest stadium in all of Italy, following San Siro in Milan. For many years, the venue was known as the Stadio dei Centomila. This name reflected its former capacity of over 100,000 people. Today, the facility is owned by Sport e Salute, a government agency. The Italian National Olympic Committee, or CONI, serves as the operator of the site.
The stadium is located within the Foro Italico sports complex in northwestern Rome.
Building the venue required overcoming difficult environmental challenges. The chosen site was a swampy area at the foot of Monte Mario. Because the ground was marshy from rainwater, engineers had to transform the landscape. They raised the playing field by 4 meters. To achieve this, workers used two million cubic meters of soil excavated for the foundations. The finished structure is a concrete building clad in travertine stone. It features two parallel stands, each roughly 140 meters long. These are the Tevere Grandstand on the east and the Monte Mario Grandstand on the west. The north and south ends feature curved stands called Curva Nord and Curva Sud.
History shows that the stadium's development was shaped by many different eras. Construction began in 1928 under the architect Enrico Del Debbio. In 1937, Luigi Moretti expanded the venue. However, World War II interrupted these growth plans. After the Liberation of Rome in June 1944, Allied troops used the site for vehicle storage. They also held military sports competitions there. Following the war, CONI took over the project. They completed the reconstruction at a cost of 4 billion lire. The stadium officially opened on 17 May 1953. The opening featured an international football match between Italy and Hungary.
The stadium has hosted many different types of prestigious sporting events. In 1955, the name changed to Olimpico after Rome won the right to host the 1960 Summer Olympics.
During those games, the stadium hosted track-and-field events and the opening ceremonies. American sprinter Wilma Rudolph famously won three gold medals there. The venue also hosted the 1974 European Athletics Championships and the 1987 World Championships in Athletics. In recent years, it hosted the 2024 European Athletics Championships. It is also a frequent home for the Italian rugby union team during the Six Nations Championship.
Football has played a massive role in the life of the Olimpico. It is the home stadium for Rome's two principal professional clubs, S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma.
Many legendary players have competed on this pitch. For example, Ciro Immobile holds the record for the most goals scored at the stadium with 120. The venue has also hosted major international tournaments. It was a principal venue for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It also hosted the grand finals for the 1968 and 1980 European Championships. Additionally, it hosted two European Cup finals in 1977 and 1984. It also hosted two UEFA Champions' League finals in 1996 and 2009.
Architectural changes have occurred to meet the needs of modern crowds. Before 1990, the stadium was almost entirely unroofed. Only the Monte Mario Grandstand had a roof. In 1990, the stadium was rebuilt and a roof was added for the FIFA World Cup. This reconstruction allowed the venue to host large-scale musical events as well.
In 1998, Claudio Baglioni performed a concert that set the record for the highest attendance at a musical event. This shows how the stadium has evolved from a purely athletic site into a versatile cultural landmark.
Ultimately, the Stadio Olimpico connects the history of Rome to the global sporting community. It has transitioned from a site of military exhibitions to a world-class arena. Its ability to host everything from rugby and athletics to massive pop concerts is unique. The stadium remains a symbol of Italian sporting pride. It continues to host major events like the Coppa Italia final, which it has held since 2008. Through decades of political change and physical reconstruction, the Olimpico stands as a central part of Rome's urban identity.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (19)
+ 7 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.