Palazzetto dello Sport
Rome's 1960 Olympic basketball arena with a concrete dome.
The Palazzetto dello Sport, also known as the PalaTiziano or PalaFlaminio, is an indoor arena in Rome, Italy. Located in Piazza Apollodoro, it has a seating capacity of 3,500 for basketball games. The venue was built for the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- PalaTiziano
- Location
- Piazza Apollodoro; I-00199 Rome
- Groundbreaking
- 1956
- Built
- 1957
- Opened
- October 1, 1957
- Renovated
- 2021–2024
- Owner
- Municipality of Rome
- Surface
- Parquet
Facts from the source article.
History
The Palazzetto dello Sport, now known as PalaTiziano, was built for the 1960 Summer Olympics alongside the larger Palazzo dello Sport. Construction started in July 1956 and finished on September 15, 1957, with the venue opening on October 1, 1957, at a cost of $425,000. Architect Annibale Vitellozzi designed it the year before, while Pier Luigi Nervi engineered its reinforced thin-shell concrete dome, working under engineer Giacomo Maccagno. During the Olympics, it hosted basketball and other events. Since then, it has also held volleyball matches, concerts, and shows. The arena sits between the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone and the Maxxi museum, close to the Olympic Stadium. Virtus Roma, the professional basketball team, called it home from its founding until the early 1980s, then again for several years at the start of the millennium while its regular venue was renovated. The team returned in 2011 because management costs at the Palazzo dello Sport were too high and Virtus Roma was not in the EuroLeague. The club moved back to the PalaLottomatica in 2018 as PalaTiziano’s renovation approached. After a long period of disuse, the dome was carefully restored and the arena reopened in October 2023.
Design
The arena’s dome, a ribbed concrete shell 61 meters across, covers roughly 4,800 square meters and was assembled from 1,620 prefabricated pieces in just 40 days, with concrete flying buttresses providing support. Inside, the building houses a first-aid center, four sets of dressing rooms plus one for officials, a sports medicine center, a management office, a press room with 12 telephone booths, two storage rooms, and basement heating and air-conditioning. Seating can be arranged for 3,500 basketball fans or up to 5,600 for boxing or wrestling events. Architect Bruno Zevi noted its spherical shape and other similarities to the Pantheon.
Restoration
The Palazzetto dello Sport sat empty for five years before renovations began in 2018 under Mayor Virginia Raggi and concluded under her successor, Robert Gualtieri. The city originally secured a €3 million contract with a March 2022 deadline, but that budget fell short. An extra €2 million was gathered to see the work through. The project added 2,500 seats, raising the venue’s capacity to 3,500. It finally reopened in December 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Palazzetto dello Sport?
Palazzetto dello Sport is located in Piazza Apollodoro; I-00199 Rome.
Who owns Palazzetto dello Sport?
Palazzetto dello Sport is owned by Municipality of Rome.
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