Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Open doors of the facility on Saturday and Sunday for visits by runners and citizens

Milan, October 15 2020 – The new athletics track and the new football field of the “Gianni Brera” civic arena were inaugurated today. The city facility in the heart of Parco Sempione is thus returned to the city and to the sports associations, redeveloped according to the standards required to host professional competitions.

In the presence of the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò, the councilor for Sport Roberta Guaineri, the president of Fidal Alfio Giomi, the president of the Board of Directors of the FIGC Women's Football Division Ludovica Mantovani and the representatives of the world of sports and sports associations, the reopening was celebrated with a ceremony which saw the performance of Italian athletics and football champions on the track and on the field.

“The wait was rewarded - commented the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala -. Today we are giving back to Milan and the people of Milan a more functional and beautiful civic Arena. Thanks to the new athletics track and the new football pitch, the 'Gianni Brera' Arena offers itself as an ideal place to host high-level events and competitions. I believe that the athletes and the city's sports associations will appreciate the work done in recent months to improve and adapt the facility to the standards that, due to its history, the Arena deserves. In this difficult period of uncertainty and worry, we see today's reopening as a tangible sign of restart for the city and for the world of sport, in view of future successes."

“After the Vigorelli and the new Palalido Allianz cloud, it is a great emotion to give back to the city its temple of athletics and football – declares Roberta Guaineri, councilor for Sport -, proof of the great attention and commitment made by this administration towards sport and city facilities. Thanks to this high-level redevelopment work, the Civic Arena returns to being the home of the many sports associations that operate here, transmitting the priceless values ​​of sport to our children and also acting as a precious nursery for national sport, as well as the training venue of Olympic athletes and will return to host the most prestigious national and international competitions".

For the sporting exhibition, Bogliolo of the Fiamme Oro, Lorenzo Perini of the Air Force, Vittoria Fontana of the Carabinieri and Filippo Tortu of the Fiamme Gialle ran on the new Luminosa athletics track.

On the football pitch, however, the women's teams of Milan and Inter were present for a symbolic kick-off. For Inter: Regina Baresi, Caroline Møller Hansen, Yoreli Rincón, Gloria Marinelli, Ilaria Mauro. For Milan: Natasha Dowie, Miriam Longo, Linda Tucceri.

On Saturday 17th, from 9am to 30pm and from 12pm to 14pm, and on Sunday 30th, from 17pm to 18pm, the Civic Arena will be open to citizens and athletes who will be able, in compliance with the anti-Covid regulations, to visit it, run on the new athletics track and try out the platforms, as well as having short educational explanations on the specialties of athletics and running. For visitors who just want to admire the renovated temple of athletics, the tour will take place beyond the gate and not on the track. Free entry based on seat availability.

REDEVELOPMENT
The works carried out in recent months have adapted and improved the characteristics of the sports surface, the grassy field and the location of the platforms. The distribution of spaces is now in line with what is required by the International Federation for functional competitive use and the choice of synthetic material making up the athletics track is the best in terms of both performance and maintenance.

Furthermore, work has begun on the restoration of the monumental gate, sponsored by Levissima thanks to the Art bonus tool.

ATHLETICS TRACK
In particular, for the athletics track the works involved the removal of the old surface, the milling and the laying of a new road base; the installation of the new waterproof surface, with a thickness of 13 and a half millimetres, softer to reduce the possibility of athletes suffering injuries. The platforms for the shot put, hammer and javelin throws, as well as the tracks for the long jump, triple jump and pole vault were also rebuilt. The athletes' warm-up floor has been extended on the north and south sides. 16 retractable turrets have been created for electricity and data sockets, a platform for disabled athletes which gives them the possibility of anchoring themselves to the ground and carrying out jumps safely.

FOOTBALL FIELD
As regards the change from football, the interventions involved the reconstruction of the turf, the deep and superficial drainage system and the irrigation system.

THE ARENA IN HISTORY
The first project of the Napoleonic Arena was developed by Luigi Canonica in 1805 to provide the city with a large space for parties, shows and celebrations. The construction of the amphitheater began in 1806 and ended in 1827. Inaugurated on 18 August 1807, for over a hundred years the Arena hosted the most diverse and astonishing shows. Twice, in 1894 and 1906, the Arena witnessed the extraordinary performances of the circus "The wild west show" by William Frederick Cody, the legendary "Buffalo Bill", with his epic rides of cowboys and redskins. For over a century, the Arena has hosted the Naumachie, the Ludi Remieri, the chariot races, the carousels and the equestrian races, the elephant parades, the fireworks displays, every type of circus exhibition, the "shooting to the pigeon", the exhibition of a large whale "made of wood, canvas and tin" in 1830, the ascents of hot air balloons and hot air balloons, the "Automobile balloon hunt" proposed by the newly created Automobile club Milan, the meetings of " boxing", "basket ball" and "oval ball", as well as artificial ice skating competitions and parties.

In 1870 the municipality of Milan purchased the Arena and, from this moment, it became "civic". 
The Second World War, with the heavy bombing of Milan on 13 September 1943, caused serious damage to the Arena. With the war just over, on 20 May 1945, sports returned with a football match between the great Torino of Valentino Mazzola and a mixed Milan-Inter team defeated 5 to 4. On 24 June athletics also returned with the "Quinta American army. Also in '45, on 23 September, there was football again with the challenge between the English "592nd Army troops royal" and the "Assembly centre" and rugby with the match between Amatori Milano and a South African military team. The Arena also experienced a cycling "belle époque". In fact, on 25 July 1895 the Italian Championships took place here and on 30 May 1909 the first edition of the "Giro d'Italia" ended here, won by Luigi Ganna. The cyclists also transformed into footballers, for a benefit for the flooded Polesine, on 14 January 1952. Welcomed by 25 thousand paying spectators, the "coppiani" in Rossoneri and the "bartaliani" in neroazzurro faced each other: Fausto Coppi scored the last goal of a score tennis (6-0). Boxing at the Arena had as its protagonist the great Erminio Spalla who on 20 May 1923 won the European heavyweight title here against the Dutch van der Veer. Carlo Braida, a former cycling champion, learned football abroad and in 1895 he thought of importing this game to Italy. The Mediolanum gymnasts established a "Ball to football" section in 1898 and in December 1899 the "Milan cricket and football club" was born. The Internazionale was born in March 1908. Football made its debut at the Arena, in a school gymnastics competition, on 20 May 1900, with a Mediolanum-Milan derby. A week later the match between the Rossoneri and Juventus of Turin took place. The first football match of an Italian national team took place on 15 May 1910 against France, beaten 6 to 2.

WORLD RECORDS ACHIEVED IN THE PLANT

• 26 December 1926, 20km walk, Attilio Callegari, 1h 38'53”2
• 23 October 1927, 20km walk, Donato Pavesi, 1h 37'42”2
• 17 September 1933, 1550 metres, Luigi Beccali, 3'49”0
• November 4, 1933, 1000 yards, Luigi Beccali, 2'10”0
• 15 July 1939, 800 metres, Rudokf Harbig (GE), 1'46”
• 10 October 1948, record, Adolfo Consolini, m 55.33
• October 8, 1950, 440 yards, Armando Filiput, 51”9
• 30 June 1956, javelin, Janusz Sidlo (PO), m 83.60
• 1 June 1961, javelin, Carlo Lievore, m 86.74
• 2 July 1969, 1500 metres, Paola Pigni, 4'12”4
• June 27, 1973, 800 meters, Marcello Fiasconaro, 1'43”7
• May 11, 1980, pole vault, Kozakiewicz Wladislaw (PL), 5.72
• July 3, 1980, 400 hurdles, Moses Edwin (USA), 47”13
• 5 June 2002, 3000 steeplechases, Justina Bak (POL), 9'22”29

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