Stadio Olimpico: A Deep Dive Into Rome
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome is the shared home of AS Roma and SS Lazio and one of the most storied multi-sport stadiums in Europe. Set within the Foro Italico sports complex beneath Monte Mario, it hosted the 1960 Olympic Games, the 1990 World Cup final and matches at Euro 2020, and it stages the Derby della Capitale, among the most intense derbies in world football. The stadium is on the map.
The Foro Italico and the 1960 Olympics
The stadium sits within the Foro Italico, a monumental sports complex built in the Fascist era in the 1930s, originally as the Foro Mussolini, lined with marble statues and mosaics. The Stadio Olimpico was developed as the centrepiece for the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, hosting the athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies. The Games are remembered for Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia winning the marathon barefoot, finishing near the stadium amid the ancient monuments of Rome.
Capacity and the 1990 World Cup rebuild
For the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which Italy hosted, the Stadio Olimpico was comprehensively rebuilt, gaining a distinctive translucent roof structure that covers the stands. Its current capacity is around 70,634, making it one of the largest stadiums in Italy. The 1990 World Cup final, in which West Germany beat Argentina 1-0 with a late Andreas Brehme penalty, was held here, the culmination of the tournament that gave the world "Nessun Dorma" and the tears of Paul Gascoigne.
Roma and Lazio share a home
Uniquely among the great European derby cities, Roma and Lazio share the same stadium, dividing it between the Curva Sud (traditionally Roma's end) and the Curva Nord (Lazio's). Both clubs are tenants of the publicly owned ground rather than owners, a situation that has fuelled long-running plans by Roma in particular to build their own stadium. For now, the Stadio Olimpico remains the home of both, an unusual arrangement for two clubs of such size and rivalry.
The Derby della Capitale
The Rome derby, the Derby della Capitale, is among the most fiercely contested in world football, dividing the city between the two clubs. Played in a single stadium with the two curve facing each other, it produces extraordinary tifo displays, deafening noise and an atmosphere charged with the social and historical divisions of the capital. The derby is one of the defining spectacles of Italian football and a central reason for the Stadio Olimpico's fame.
Athletics and the Golden Gala
The Stadio Olimpico retains its athletics function, hosting the annual Golden Gala, one of the most prestigious meetings on the Diamond League circuit, and major championship athletics. The running track that separates the stands from the pitch is a legacy of the ground's Olympic and athletics role, and is a frequent point of complaint among football supporters who feel it distances them from the action.
Rugby and other events
Beyond football, the Stadio Olimpico is the home of the Italy national rugby union team for its Six Nations home fixtures, bringing a different crowd and atmosphere to the ground on rugby weekends. It also hosts the final of the Coppa Italia and major concerts, and it staged matches including the final-stage fixtures at Euro 2020, reinforcing its status as Italy's principal multi-purpose national stadium alongside the San Siro.
The location beneath Monte Mario
The stadium sits in the Foro Italico on the banks of the Tiber, beneath the wooded slopes of Monte Mario in the north of Rome. The surrounding complex, with its marble obelisk, mosaics and the Stadio dei Marmi ringed by statues, is one of the most distinctive sporting settings in Europe, blending Fascist-era monumental architecture with the modern stadium. It is reachable from central Rome by tram and bus across the Tiber.
Explore on the map
The Stadio Olimpico, the San Siro and the other great grounds of Italian football are plotted on the interactive map. Use it to locate the Foro Italico in northern Rome, plan a visit around the Derby della Capitale or a Six Nations weekend, or compare Italy's great shared stadium with the rest of the European game. The map is the clearest way to see where Rome's footballing rivalry plays out.