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Address: ALBERTO PICCO, VIA DEI PIOPPI, 19123 LA SPEZIA (SP)
Getting There
The Tribuna can be accessed from Via dei Pioppi, while the Distinti and the Curva Ferrovia can be accessed from Viale Nicolò Fieschi. Guest supporters can access the Curva Piscina through a tunnel located in the side street Via dei Pioppi.
Stadium Information
Stadium capacity: 11.466
Tribuna 1.222
Distinti 3.054
Curva Ferrovia 4.014
Curva Piscina Locali 1.965
Curva Piscina Settore Ospiti 1.211
Field size: 105 m x 65 m
The Alberto Picco stadium is the main football stadium in La Spezia. Since 1919 it hosts the home games of Spezia Calcio. The plant is named for Alberto Picco, a soldier who died heroically during the First World War and the first goal scorer of the Ligurian club. The Alberto Picco stadium was built at the end of the First World War on an area granted by the Navy. The plant was built quickly to offer the Spezia F.B.C. a suitable field in which to play the first official championship, that of Ligurian Promotion of 1919-20. The stadium, however, was not ready for the first match of the tournament, which had to be played on the field of the other city team, Virtus.
The Picco was finally inaugurated in the following home game of the Aquilotti, played on December 7th, 1919 and in which Spezia overwhelmed the S.C. Genoa for 8-0. Initially, the stadium was equipped with covered wooden stands, in English style. In 1922 Spezia placed at the entrance of the plant a plaque to commemorate its fallen: Alberto Picco, Umberto Toso, Ferruccio Francesconi, Bruno Zambelli, Paride Ferrari and Ciro Orsini. In the early thirties was built the characteristic gate in dark stone, which was later completed with the sculptures of two athletes.
This entrance, now historical, is currently located between the Distinti sector and the Curva Piscina side and is clearly visible from those who pass through Viale Fieschi. At the time, to celebrate the inauguration of the new structure, a luxury friendly match was organized against Juventus, which won 2-4. The structure of the stands remained the original one until a more modern concrete grandstand was built, which was inaugurated on February 19th, 1933 on the occasion of Spezia-Novara match, won by the Piedmontese team 1-2.
In 1964, the construction of a small concrete curve was completed, and was called “Curva Ferrovia” (because behind it there was the railroad link with the military arsenal), with a capacity of about 1000 seats and whose shape seems almost an extension of the steps in front of the grandstand. The structure was officially inaugurated on January 6th, 1964 on the occasion of Spezia-Massese derby, won by the local team 1-0. Shortly after the birth of the organized fan groups, between 1974-75, the local ultras occupied the concrete curve, which was later divided from the prefabricated one when it was decided to leave a sector of the stadium reserved for visiting fans.
In 1986, after the promotion to Serie C1 conquered by Spezia in the 1985-86 season, a second stand was built, called the “Curva Piscina”, which rises on the opposite side of the Curva Ferrovia and so defined because it is located in the area between the playing field and a swimming pool owned by the Navy. This structure is also made of prefabricated and has a capacity of about 1,500 seats. The Curva Piscina immediately became the area occupied by local fans, who, closer to the field, can make feel their warmth to their favorites. The curve was inaugurated on September 28th, 1986 on the occasion of Spezia-Prato. At the end of the 1980’s, an ambitious project was presented by Gregotti and Associates, which foresaw the complete renovation of all sectors of the stadium, bringing the total capacity of the stadium to approximately 15,000 spectators.
The works, even if not in the perfectly pre-established times, started, and the first thing to be done was the construction of the Distinti sector, which was temporarily divided in half in order to also host the guest fans. Subsequently, it was the turn of the Curva Ferrovia, which was completely rebuilt according to the new project, becoming the most impressive sector of the entire facility. In the new stand the local fans take their places and the structure is inaugurated on November 12th, 1993 with the match Spezia-Como, ended with the score of 0-0 and filmed for the occasion by Tele+ cameras.
The work, however, due to lack of funds are forced to stop, and the remaining areas (grandstand and Curva Piscina) are not restructured. The Alberto Picco stadium remained in this situation until summer of 2000, when Spezia won the promotion to C1 and it was decided to fix the Curva Piscina to assign it to the guest fans. This was necessary to guarantee greater safety and a greater capacity, being able to offer the visiting fans a sector with 1,600 seats and to dedicate the use of the entire sector of the stands to local supporters. In this situation of stalemate you get up to 2006, the year in which Spezia Calcio celebrates its centenary and makes his return to Serie B after fifty-five years of absence from the cadet championship.
To face Serie B, however, some work had to be done during the summer to make the facility in compliance with the regulations in force. In detail, two new lighting towers were built on the Curva Piscina side to adapt the lighting system, the ditch that divided the playing field from the Distinti sector was filled in (and replaced with a shatterproof window) and new structures were built for the press (including a hospitality area) and the locker rooms behind the historic grandstand. The capacity of the Curva Piscina, intended for visiting fans, was increased to 2,000; the overall capacity of the stadium is now about 10,000 spectators. Finally, a position has been created to allow television filming from the Distinti sectors, in order to avoid the visual obstacles constituted by the support poles that are present in the stands, where journalists from radio stations and the press still find a place.
In the summer of 2007, to be able to consider the facility in compliance with the law, turnstiles were installed at all public access points; the entire stadium was also surrounded by a metal fence that provides a security area between the entrance controls and access to the stands. At the same time, new security gates were built and additional surveillance cameras were installed. Was made a radical change in the access to the stadium for visiting fans, thanks to the realization of a special tunnel that allows access to the Curva Piscina from the side street Via dei Pioppi. The old football field behind the Tribuna, known as the Sussidiario, was definitively decommissioned to allow the connection with the tunnel to the Curva Piscina and a safe parking area for the vehicles of visiting fans.
Finally, in the upper part of the Distinti sector, some small boxes were built to improve the comfort of television and journalistic stations.
