Description
The Renzo Barbera stadium is Palermo's stadium, in the Favorita park. It is also the largest sports venue in the city, with two tiers of stands and over thirty-six thousand seats: Palermo has played its home games here since the opening in 1932.
What remains of the original structure is the central facade, which was kept in the rebuilding for the 1990 World Cup because it was considered a fine example of colonial architecture. The rest dates from 1990.
The stadium hosted three Group F matches of the Italia '90 World Cup, the 1996 UEFA Super Cup final and, in 1995, the visit of Pope John Paul II. For away fans there is a sector closed off by high nets and glass walls, nicknamed "the cage".
Born in 1932, from a rationalist design by the engineer Giovan Battista Santangelo, it was called "Littorio", and its debut was a 5-1 against Atalanta. In 1937 it took the name of Michele Marrone, a former Palermo player. After the war it became the Favorita, like the Bourbon estate.
Since 2002 it has borne the name of Renzo Barbera, Palermo's president in the 1970s. In between there were three major renovations: in 1948, with the two curved ends that the original design had already planned; in 1984, with the second tier; for Italia '90, with a reconstruction that started from the foundations.
At the World Cup building site, on 30 August 1989, a collapse killed five workers. A plaque inside the stadium remembers them. The new stadium was inaugurated on 30 May 1990.
The Barbera has also been a stage for concerts since the 1970s. In 1987 Frank Sinatra performed here, Duran Duran, opening their Italian tour, and Spandau Ballet.
On 13 May 1998 the fans locked the stadium with a big padlock, with the team inside, because Palermo risked falling to C2. The players were freed in the evening. The gesture did not save the team from relegation on the pitch.
In September 2024, on the death of Salvatore Schillaci, the top scorer of Italia '90, the stadium hosted his lying in state for two days: thousands of people came to say goodbye to the Palermo-born striker.
Don't miss
• The central facade from the 1930s.
• The plaque for the 1989 workers.
• The away sector known as "the cage".
Did you know?
• The pitch before the Barbera, the Varvaro, was nicknamed "U Pantanu" (the swamp) because of its poorly draining ground.
• In 2006 the Barbera was the first stadium compliant with the turnstiles required by the Pisanu law.
What remains of the original structure is the central facade, which was kept in the rebuilding for the 1990 World Cup because it was considered a fine example of colonial architecture. The rest dates from 1990.
The stadium hosted three Group F matches of the Italia '90 World Cup, the 1996 UEFA Super Cup final and, in 1995, the visit of Pope John Paul II. For away fans there is a sector closed off by high nets and glass walls, nicknamed "the cage".
Born in 1932, from a rationalist design by the engineer Giovan Battista Santangelo, it was called "Littorio", and its debut was a 5-1 against Atalanta. In 1937 it took the name of Michele Marrone, a former Palermo player. After the war it became the Favorita, like the Bourbon estate.
Since 2002 it has borne the name of Renzo Barbera, Palermo's president in the 1970s. In between there were three major renovations: in 1948, with the two curved ends that the original design had already planned; in 1984, with the second tier; for Italia '90, with a reconstruction that started from the foundations.
At the World Cup building site, on 30 August 1989, a collapse killed five workers. A plaque inside the stadium remembers them. The new stadium was inaugurated on 30 May 1990.
The Barbera has also been a stage for concerts since the 1970s. In 1987 Frank Sinatra performed here, Duran Duran, opening their Italian tour, and Spandau Ballet.
On 13 May 1998 the fans locked the stadium with a big padlock, with the team inside, because Palermo risked falling to C2. The players were freed in the evening. The gesture did not save the team from relegation on the pitch.
In September 2024, on the death of Salvatore Schillaci, the top scorer of Italia '90, the stadium hosted his lying in state for two days: thousands of people came to say goodbye to the Palermo-born striker.
Don't miss
• The central facade from the 1930s.
• The plaque for the 1989 workers.
• The away sector known as "the cage".
Did you know?
• The pitch before the Barbera, the Varvaro, was nicknamed "U Pantanu" (the swamp) because of its poorly draining ground.
• In 2006 the Barbera was the first stadium compliant with the turnstiles required by the Pisanu law.