Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo Guide Venezia FC

Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, Venice

Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo is the 12,048-capacity home ground of Venezia FC. Located on the island of Sant'Elena in Venice, it is one of the few grounds in the world that can be reached only by boat or on foot.

History

The stadium opened in 1913 and is named after World War I pilot Pier Luigi Penzo (1896-1928). It is the second-oldest stadium in Italy still in continuous use, after Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Originally built of wood, the stadium was significantly upgraded in the 1920s with the addition of a concrete main stand, followed by further improvements in the years that followed. Its record attendance of 26,000 was set during a 1966 Serie A match against A.C. Milan. On 11 September 1970, a tornado struck Venice, causing extensive damage to the ground. As the club's fortunes on the pitch declined, only partial restoration was carried out, reducing the capacity to just over 5,000. It was later increased to 15,000 in 1998. Following the club's return to Serie A in 2021, redevelopment of the stadium began during that summer.

Venezia FC will soon relocate to a new 18,500-seat, fully-covered stadium in Tessèra, part of the "Bosco dello Sport" (Sport's Forest) complex near Marco Polo International Airport.

Designed by Populous in collaboration with Maffeis Engineering, construction began in October 2025, with the venue intended to replace the current Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.

Monument to Pier Luigi Penzo. — Monument to Pier Luigi Penzo in the Giardini della Biennale; Penzo died in 1928 after crashing into the Rhone River returning from an Arctic rescue mission

Venezia FC

Founded in 1907, the club are nicknamed the I Leoni Alati (The Winged Lions), the Lagunari or Gli Arancioneroverdi (The Orange-Black-Greens).

The team has spent the majority of its existence in the top two divisions of Italian football. However, at the end of the 2004-05 Serie B season, the club was both relegated and declared bankrupt. Although refounded further woe occurred with another bankruptcy at the end of the 2008-09 campaign. Refounded again as Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia, a third bankruptcy in a decade followed in 2014.

Acquired by US investors in 2015 the club was refounded yet again, this time as Venezia FC. Under the tenure of former AC Milan star, Filippo Inzaghi (2016-2018), kick-started an ascent which would see a return to the top flight in 2021 after 19 years outside Serie A. Unfortunately, that return would last only one season before relegation back to Serie B. At time of writing (April 2026) Venezia top Serie B with a chance to regain top flight status.

The club's biggest honor to date is winning the Coppa Italia in the 1940-41 season.

If you don't understand, never mind. — If you don't understand, never mind

Players & Coaches

Club icons include Valentino Mazzola from the 1940s who later went on to play for Torino and was killed in the 1949 Superga air disaster.

Francesco Pernigo spent nine years at the club contributing 70 goals between 1938-1947 during the war years.

Leeds United's present captain Ethan Ampadu spent a season on loan in Venice from 2020-2021.

Back in the 1990s Christian Vieri also spent one season with the club at the beginning of his career.

Some big name managers at the club have included Luciano Spalletti (1999-2000) who coached Venezia during the 1999-2000 Serie A season before going on to manage major clubs such AS Roma, Inter Milan, Napoli (winning the 2022-23 Serie A), and becoming the Italy national team coach.

Cesare Prandelli (2000-2001) took over in 2000 and successfully led the team back to Serie A before later managing ACF Fiorentina and the Italian national team.

As mentioned above Filippo Inzaghi (2016-2018) successfully led Venezia from Lega Pro (Serie C) to Serie B, winning the 2016-17 Lega Pro title and the Coppa Italia Lega Pro.

Alberto Zaccheroni (1990-1993) coached the team back to Serie B and went on to win the Serie A title with AC Milan. Zaccheroni also went on to have a spell in charge of the Japan national football team.

Walter Novellino (1997-1999) took the club back to Serie A in 1998 after a 31-year absence.

Club colors are orange, black and green. — Club colors are orange, black and green

Access - Getting There

On foot, Stadio Penzo can be reached from Piazza San Marco in about 30 minutes by following the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront past the Biennale grounds to Sant'Elena.

By vaporetto (water bus), the stadium is accessible from various parts of the city in 15 to 30 minutes via lines 1, 4.2, 5.2, or 6, alighting at the Sant'Elena stop.