Arena Civica

Arena Gianni Brera
Jeanne-Geneviève Garnerin, the world’s first female parachutist, drops into the Arena in 1824
Former names	Arena del Foro Bonaparte, Arena Civica
Location	Parco Sempione, Milan
Broke ground	1806
Opened	18 aug 1807
Renovated	1945
Owner	Comune di Milano (city council)
Architect	Luigi Canonica
Capacity	10,000

Arena Civica (official name "Arena Gianni Brera") is a multi-purpose stadium in Milan, Italy, which was opened on 18 August 1807 and is one of the city’s main examples of neoclassical architecture. During its history it has been used for many kinds of events, including the reconstruction of naval battles; William Frederick Cody (“Buffalo Bill”) twice brought his “Wild West Show” here. Today it mainly hosts football and rugby union matches, concerts and cultural events. The stadium holds 18,000–30,000.

Since 17 January 2010 the Arena is the home ground of Amatori Rugby Milano, a rugby union club founded in 1927 that won 18 Italian Championships. The stadium is also the host venue for an annual athletics meeting – the Notturna di Milano.

History

The Arena Civica opened on 18 August 1807. During its history it has been used for many kinds of events, including the reconstruction of naval battles; William Frederick Cody (“Buffalo Bill”) twice brought his “Wild West Show” here. In 2003, the monumental Arena Civica was renamed "Arena Gianni Brera" in honor of the sportswriter Gianni Brera.

Facilities

• one 8-lane/400 m track
• one soccer and rugby pitch (100 x 86 m)

See also

The facade of the stadium

• Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (or San Siro Stadium)
• Gianni Brera
• Parco Sempione

External links

• Description On Comune di Milano website
• ARENA CIVICA.doc (Italian), a document in Microsoft Word format from the Comune di Milano website offering a history of the arena.
• Arena Civica History of the Arena Civica (Italian)
• History of the Arena Civica (French)