The Municipality of Rome is set to be presented with a new proposal for the Stadio Flaminio that will see it transformed into a 25,000-seat venue able to be fully enclosed through the addition of a roof, according to Il Messaggero.
The Italian newspaper said banking groups Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and Istituto del Credito Sportivo (ICS) will put forward the proposal for the historic venue, which has lain dormant since 2011.
The project will reportedly be privately financed at a cost of at least €80m (£71.1m/$85.2m), with CDP and ICS seeking a multi-year concession to operate the stadium and recoup its investment through revenue generated from the staging of events.
The Flaminio, designed by renowned Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, was built ahead of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and initially served as a football ground before hosting matches played by Italy’s rugby union team from 2000 to 2011. The stadium has been closed since 2011, with the Municipality, its owner, seeking ways in which to bring it back to life.
The proposal from CDP and ICS will respect the design vision of Nervi, with the grandstands to be renovated, the gyms and indoor swimming pool revamped, and bars and restaurants installed. The roof, according to Il Messaggero, will be mounted outside the stadium and be equipped with photovoltaic panels.
The new-look Flamino is envisioned to host football and rugby matches, along with major concerts. Serie A football club SS Lazio has been strongly linked with the site in the past. In October, the Municipality said Lazio had until the end of the year to present a proposal to utilise a redeveloped Flaminio as its potential new home.
Lazio currently shares the Stadio Olimpico with Serie A rival AS Roma, but both clubs have been exploring stadium projects of their own. In June 2021, Lazio put forward an “important and serious proposal” to make the Stadio Flaminio its new home, according to Angelo Diario, president of the Sports Commission of the Municipality of Rome.
Earlier in the month, Claudio Lotito confirmed his interest in the concept with the Lazio president reported to have set out certain conditions, including that the Flaminio be transformed into a 40,000-seat venue.
However, Il Messaggero notes this prospect is becoming increasingly unlikely with Lotito recently stating of the hopes of making the Flaminio the club’s new home: “There are limits that seem to make this path very difficult.”
