The city of Venice requires no introduction.
On one hand, Venezia is one of the wonders of the world: a historic city built on timber piles driven into the lagoon bed; a place where serene waterways replace chaotic roads; a disorientating maze of alleyways and grand edifices telling the story of the great maritime republic.
On the other hand, it has become a tourist trap of gargantuan proportions, now requiring an entry fee in peak season to manage the influx of people. Heaving walkways, displaced locals, obscured views, and restaurants where the bill arrives as a small shock. And, yes, we’re fully aware of the irony of writing a travel blog that makes us part of the problem.
Staying on the mainland around Mestre mitigates some of the expense, at the cost of a short hop on the train to the lagoon. We also recommend extend your visit into the evening too, when the day-tripping hordes disperse and Venice regains some of its quiet, atmospheric charm.
At the eastern edge of the lagoon lies Sant’Elena. This is where you’ll find Italy’s second-oldest football ground, Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo – though perhaps not for much longer. Venezia have already broken ground on a new stadium on the mainland, a stone’s throw from the airport, and expect to kick off the 2027/28 season in their new 18,500-capacity home.
The Club
Venezia FC were founded in 1907, evolving from the early sporting associations that first brought football to the lagoon. Their breakthrough came during the interwar period, when they won promotion to Serie A in 1939 and lifted the Coppa Italia in 1941 – the club’s first and only major honour.
Unable to compete with the powerhouse clubs of Italy’s industrial heartlands, Venezia spent the next decades oscillating between the top-flight and the semi-professional levels, often against the backdrop of financial turmoil.
In 1987 came a dramatic twist: a merger with Mestre, their long-standing mainland rivals. The new club combined the green and black of Venezia with the orange of Mestre to produce the now instantly recognisable Arancioneroverdi identity. Under the ambitious stewardship of Maurizio Zamparini, they climbed the leagues and returned to Serie A in 1998.
The zenith of that era arguably arrived with the surreal January 1999 loan signing of Álvaro Recoba from Inter. The Uruguayan, paired with Filippo Maniero and guided by the mercurial Walter Novellino, briefly elevated Venezia into the orbit of Serie A’s elite.
But the new millennium brought a familiar decline. A lost decade beginning in 2005 saw the club declared bankrupt three times, each collapse followed by rebirth at the foot of Italian football’s pyramid. The most recent refoundation, and the arrival of American ownership, initiated the club’s modern era: a rise from Serie D to Serie A, and the cultivation of a global brand that capitalised on Venezia’s distinctive aesthetic and iconic setting.
The Stadium
Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo is unique, wrapped on all sides by the shimmering waters of the lagoon. Named after an Italian First World War hero (an aviator rather than a maritime figure) it stands on Sant’Elena, a quiet residential island on Venice’s southeastern flank.
Contrary to popular belief, it is perfectly possible to reach the stadium on foot from central Venice, though the vaporetto is undeniably more fun!
As Italy’s second-oldest stadium, the Penzo has endured a turbulent existence. A tornado ripped through it in 1970, and cycles of neglect were periodically interrupted by hurried bursts of investment, usually correlated with the team’s temporary ascents up the leagues.
Sadly, little of historical value remains today. For all that the three scaffold stands lack in architectural appeal, the absence of a running track and Perspex screens gives the place a stripped-back intimacy that works in its favour. The quaint main stand is the sole substantial structure, ageing but characterful, with a modest press box perched on the roof.
The present-day capacity of around 12,000 pales in comparison to its peak. The 1960s saw crowds of 26,000 squeezed in, and the 1990s brought towering scaffold extensions that would give sleepless nights to modern health-and-safety officials. Through all the upheaval, one constant remains: from the top of the stands, the views across the lagoon are spectacular.
The Experience
Tickets for the Serie B encounter with Sampdoria went on sale only five days before the match (via Vivaticket), causing a few anxious moments – though in truth Venezia rarely sell out. Curva tickets cost €24 each, with prices climbing steeply for the Distinti and Tribuna.
From Venezia Santa Lucia station, the most direct route to the stadium is vaporetto 5.1: a 40-minute, €9.50 ride skirting the southern edge of the city and offering passing views of Piazza San Marco.
We opted to walk to Piazza San Marco first, allowing time to explore the city and to visit the club shop near the Rialto – a boutique in both size and pricing. We escaped with a €5 pin badge. The whole route, from station to stadio, can be walked in around an hour, which is what we did after the game.
For pre-match atmosphere, most home supporters disembark the vaporetto one stop early at Giardini–Biennale. From there, follow the crowds to a lively strip of bars on via Giuseepe Garibaldi. Around the stadium itself, options are limited: a few busy kiosks selling coffee, beer, spritz and panini near the Sant’Elena stop, and a small merchandise hatch located beside the ground.
Struggling Sampdoria arrived on the island more in hope than expectation. Their directors were greeted by a volley of insults from across the water as they filed inside: “We’ve got four coaches but only one striker!” – a pointed reference to years of disastrous coaching appointments and an over-reliance on the evergreen Massimo Coda. It was, however, less vitriolic than it could have been; fans travelling from Genova were banned on public safety grounds.
Inside, the first order of business is to climb to the top of the stand and take in the views over the lagoon – a footballing panorama unlike anything else in Italy.
Venezia’s Curva Sud Groppello was packed out and in full voice, but the secondary Curva Nord was far more subdued. Without visiting supporters in any real number, the spark never quite ignited. Before kick-off, a tifo was unfurled in the Distinti; only when fully revealed did it become clear it was a corporate creation courtesy of sponsors Cynar. One can only hope this cynical hijacking of football culture doesn’t catch on.
On the pitch, Venezia struck early and built a two-goal lead by half-time. Samp rallied after the break and pulled one back through a rare Liam Henderson strike, briefly threatening a comeback. But they couldn’t build on the momentum, and Venezia killed the game on the counter to seal a deserved win.
The Stadio Penzo is well worth a visit in the next 18 months. In isolation, it’s little to write home about – but context is everything. One of Europe’s most iconic and atmospheric venues is living on borrowed time. With plentiful flights, the romance of Venice, and the chance to experience Serie B on the lagoon, it’s a trip worth making soon.
Title image credit: Venezia FC
Calcio England 