Cracked Concrete and Faded Glory: The Decline of Tuscan Stadiums

Tuscany is home to historic clubs and deeply rooted fan bases, but its sports facilities are largely dated and unattractive.

The region of Tuscany is extremely rich in history and beautiful architecture. The crown jewel is the duomo in Florence. The massive cathedral, which took 140 years to construct, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire world. The Leaning Tower of Pisa also stands out as an architectural marvel. Constructed on an uneven foundation in the 14th century, the tower leaned as much as 5.5 degrees before remedial work in the 1990s reduced the lean to about 4 degrees. Villages such as San Gimignano and Volterra provide lovely views of the Tuscan countryside amongst stunning buildings constructed in the Medieval Era.

The beautiful walled city of Siena is home to the oldest bank in the world and the impressive Piazza del Campo in the center, where, believe it or not, an annual horse race is held. Even in contemporary times, the Tuscan region has seen great architectural contributions. The Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art looks like a spaceship from the outside and houses impressive international avantgarde artwork. Many people come to Tuscany for the wine and due to recent developments, visitors can sample wine in architecturally darling wineries such as Antinori nel Chianti Classico and Il Borro, which is owned by the Ferragamo fashion family.

When it comes to history, the richest parts come from the independent republics of the Middle Ages. Pisa was a powerful trade empire in the 11th century, supplying the likes of Florence, Lucca, and Siena and it played a large role in the Crusades. The Medici Family is well-known worldwide for their rule over the Florentine Republic and their commitment to the arts. The Republic of Lucca was able to maintain its independence all the way up until the 17th century, under 60 years before the unification of Italy. And of course, I cannot talk about the history of Tuscany without mentioning the massive influence it had on literature. The Divine Comedy by the Florentine Dante Alighieri is one of the most well-known pieces of literature in the history of the world and is still referenced remarkably often to this day. Other famous Tuscan writers include renaissance men, Giovanni Boccaccio, who authored the Decameron, and the father of humanism, Francesco Petrarca, as well as philosopher Nicolo Machiavelli and author of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi. 

The thoughtfulness of the Tuscan region appears to go by the wayside when it comes to stadium design. It is a region home to many famous and historical clubs with passionate fan bases. But, when it comes to bucket list sporting experiences, there is not anything that would qualify for most. A theme of the stadiums in the region seems to be that they were created for the practical purposes of hosting matches without as much thought being put into the architecture and design. Most of them were constructed during the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini from the 1920s up until the end of World War II. Italy is home to possibly the most famous stadium in the history of the world, the Colosseum in Rome, which became the archetype for outdoor arenas around the world, but that architectural specificity did not linger in the minds of stadium designers during the fascist era. 

Fiorentina

The beautiful city of Florence is considered to be one of the urban marvels of the world. ACF Fiorentina 1926 has represented the city in club football since 1926 and have been one of the mainstays in Serie A in that time. Fiorentina have played their home games in Stadio Artemio Franchi since 1931, although it was originally named after prominent Florentine fascist Giovanni Berta. The stadium is constructed entirely of reinforced concrete and has been renovated three times. Interestingly, the architect of Stadio Artemio Franchi, Pier Luigi Nervi, also designed the George Washington Bridge in New York City, USA. 

The stadium is a time capsule of the fascist era in Italy during the early to mid 20th century. Benito Mussolini, the well-known dictator of the time period, was intent on hosting the 1934 World Cup and promoting Italy on an international stage, which was likely a catalyst for the construction of Stadio Artemio Franchi. It was one of a few stadiums put up in the early years of Mussolini’s reign, as he had his eyes on that World Cup. Some have speculated that the letter “D” shape of the ground was a nod to Mussolini’s nickname, “Il Duce”.

The stadium was renamed Stadio Communale after the conclusion of World War II and the fall of the fascist regime, but it sat largely untouched until another chance to host the World Cup was on the horizon in the early 90s. The owner of the club at the time, Flavio Pontello, wanted to build a new stadium using his own funding, but the city council shot down the idea of the stadium being owned privately. So, the 60-year-old concrete was renovated and the athletic track was removed in preparation for hosting group stage and quarterfinal matches in 1990. The renovation did not bring the revival that was hoped for and the football club fell on hard times as well shortly after. Fiorentina had to be refounded in 2002 before finding some success both domestically and in European competition.

Today, the stadium is surprisingly outdated in a city known for its history, and there is renovation under way set to be completed in 2029. The new curve was supposed to be ready for the start of the 2026/27 season, but it has already been pushed back. Time will tell if the rest of the renovation goes smoothly and brings the desired results.

Siena

Siena is home to one of the older clubs in the Tuscan region, Robur Siena 1904, but after a sustained run in Serie A early in the 21st century, they have crashed down into the fourth division. Their stadium, also named after Artemio Franchi, is located on a beautiful plot of land in a small valley below the city center.

Despite the picturesque location, the ground leaves much to be desired. It is composed of four sets of metal bleachers with no semblance of a concourse to be found. It was constructed in 1923 and it wears its age front and center. It is a much smaller venue with a capacity of about 15,000, a third of which was added when they were promoted to Serie A.

Once again, the stadium provides a stark contrast to the Medieval vibe of the city. A bankruptcy in 2014 has tabled any talk of renovation or reconstruction for the time being, so the stadium will remain how it is for the foreseeable future. 

Empoli

The small city of Empoli is home to one of the relatively newer stadiums in the Tuscany region. Inaugurated in 1965, the Carlo Castellani Stadium is named for the long time top scorer for Empoli Football Club 1920 who was killed in a concentration camp in 1944. It is composed of two rectangular stands spanning the length of the pitch and athletic track and curved sections behind the goals, none of which are connected. The main materials used are concrete and steel, akin to the other stadiums in Tuscany, and it has a capacity over 16,000.

As it was constructed well after World War II and the fall of Mussolini, the stadium looks noticeably different from its counterparts, and its design containing two-tiered concrete stands was considered an engineering marvel at the time. Once again, the design appears to appeal more to practicality than aesthetics. Empoli FC for a long time was a downtrodden club, toiling away mostly in the third division for many years.

They received their first promotion in the 80s, but quickly went right back down after two seasons. Since the turn of the century, they have come into more success, bouncing between the first and second flights, as well as securing a place in European competition in the 2006/07 season.

In 2024, a plan was announced to renovate the stadium and add more seating. That plan is set to begin construction in 2026, but with the removal of the athletic track and increase in capacity, the hope is to bring more life to the ground. 

Pisa

Pisa Sporting Club 1909 are in an age of renaissance after securing promotion to Serie A in 2025 for the first time since the 90s. Unfortunately, their stadium is not quite up to standards in the top flight. The Arena Garibaldi-Romeo Anconetani Stadium first hosted matches in 1919 and was fully completed in 1931.

It played a role in World War II as the Allies took it over and used it as a field hospital. It is made up of two stands along the length of the pitch and curves behind the goals, all of which were connected and made into a ring in 1978. Like the others, it is also constructed using concrete and metal. With a capacity of 12,500, the small arena is squeezed into an even smaller area in the Porta a Lucca neighborhood.

Unlike some of the old bandbox constructions that were popular in America during the 20s, this stadium does not seamlessly fit into the neighborhood and it appears to be out of place. With their new promotion to the top flight, Pisa is looking into relocating and building a modern stadium that would be a bigger draw for both fans and tourists alike. 

LIVORNO

The coastal city of Livorno is home to another one of the stadiums built during that boom of construction in the 1930s under fascist rule. The Stadio Armando Picchi, as it is called now after the longtime Livorno player and coach, is also nicknamed the Ardenza for the neighborhood in which it resides. As is the case with many of the other stadiums built in this era, Livorno’s ground is constructed using reinforced concrete.

It was actually the first structure to be built from that material in the entire city. The stadium is shaped like a ring, with an athletic track running around the confines of the pitch. Critics of the stadium have said it embodies the masculine beauty that leaders of the fascist regime were championing at the time. The football club in Livorno was founded in 1915, and they were mainstays in the top flight during their early years. When the stadium was constructed, they were in the midst of bouncing between Serie A and B before a prolonged stretch in the lower divisions.

They did not ascend back up to the top division until 2004 when they were promoted and remained in Serie A until 2008. They have been back up for just one season twice since that time, but at present they are down in the third flight, having only just secured promotion last season by winning the Serie D Scudetto. They had to be refounded after the 2021 season and hope to be emerging from the struggles of the recent years. Livorno is in the process of smaller renovations in the name of safety and upgrades to their ground, and there are no plans to be leaving soon. If Livorno are able to find success near the top of Italy again, it will be in the Stadio Armando Picchi. 

Continuing our tour of Tuscany, the situation isn’t much better. Lucchese, another historic club, filed for bankruptcy last summer and is now competing in the amateur league for the 2025/26 season. They share a fate with Prato and Pistoiese, both of which have a distinguished past. Beyond their sporting decline, their stadiums are also in decline, with the “Lungobisenzio” in Prato particularly critical, forcing the team to play away from their home ground for a long time.

Carrarese, on the other hand, returned to Serie B last year after 60 years, and in Carrara they’ve just inaugurated a beautiful new stadium for the Apuan supporters. Let’s hope this bodes well for all the Tuscan clubs who deserve to play in facilities worthy of their history.

Article by Jack Siciliano/ Syracuse University Program in Florence