Much more than just sports arenas, stadiums are vital centers, places of collective ritual, symbols of passion and change. Through their monumental architecture, they tell the story and identity of the cities that host them and the social and cultural transformations that have taken place there.
In the first major exhibition in Italy dedicated to this architectural genre, the MAXXI museum traces the history of stadiums through drawings, models, architectural designs, works of art, historical posters, photographs, and documents. It is not only a tribute to a symbol of the collective imagination, but an opportunity to critically reflect on profound and often overlooked aspects of our cities and society. In a journey through the centuries across different continents, the exhibition takes us from the ancient stone of the Panathinaiko in Athens or the Colosseum, symbols of an era in which sport and entertainment were already instruments of aggregation and identity, to the end of the 19th century, with the rebirth of the idea of the stadium, and finally to contemporary masterpieces of technology and design. The exhibition highlights the evolution of these structures, from simple spaces for sporting competition to multifunctional venues capable of hosting concerts, religious ceremonies, mass gatherings, political events, fairs and artistic performances, to becoming a tool for city branding and a new destination for global tourism.
Special attention is given to Italian stadiums, their distribution and the heated debate on the prospects for regeneration. Thanks to the patronage of the FIGC - Italian Football Federation, the trophies symbolising the history of the Italian national team are also on display: the four World Cups won (from 29 May to 31 August, the two Rimet Cups of 1934 and 1938; from 1 to 26 October, the World Cups of 1982 and 2006) and the two European triumphs in 1968 and 2020 (from 1 to 30 September).
Header Dacia Arena Udine, Courtesy Archea Associati Pietro Savorelli Associati
Informationen
Condividi
