Stadio Carlo Castellani - Empoli Stadium Guide

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By Football Tripper
Last Updated: July 20, 2021

Inside the empty Stadio Carlo Castellani

Stadio Carlo Castellani is the home stadium of Italian yo-yo club, Empoli F.C. Located in the sporting district within the city of the same name in the Northern region of Tuscany, the ground first opened in 1923 and has a capacity today which is just slightly under 20,000.

Empoli Stadium Guide

Stadium Facts

Overview
Team:Empoli
Opened:1965
Capacity:16,284
Address: Viale Delle Olimpiadi, Empoli, Tuscany, 50053
Pitch Size:105x68m
Stadium Owner:Municipality of Empoli
Operator:Empoli FC
Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadio_Carlo_Castellani
Stadium Names
Names:Stadio Comunale Carlo Castellani, Carlo Castellani Stadium (English)
Former Names:Stadio Comunale di Empoli (1936-1945)
Construction Details
Broke Ground:1965

Stadio Carlo Castellani History

Located within Viale delle Olimpiadi, the use of the land for football on which today’s stadium sits dates back to the early 20th century when the sport was still growing in popularity. Although some report 1923 as being the earliest recorded instance of football matches taking place at the ground, the stadium didn’t begin to flourish until the 1960s.

Consisting of two grandstands, tribunes, and two stands behind either goal ends known as Curvas, the basic structure of Stadio Carlo Castellani was inaugurated on the 12th September 1965. Today the ground has a capacity of 19,795 and it still retains a lot of its original features including the Athletics track capable of hosting running events as well as long jump.

The ground is named in honour of former Empoli footballer Carlo Castellani who is one of the club’s all time top goalscorers. Born within the nearby Montelupo Fiorentino in Tuscany, Carlo Castellani, sadly died after being deported to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Upper Austria during the second World War.

Renovations for Empoli’s stadium have usually been led by the local municipality with Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Cambiano financing improvement such as the rebuilding and renaming of the Curva Sud in honour of Emiliano Del Rosso in 2007.

However, when Empoli qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2007-2008 the club financed the renovation of the main stand in order to meet the requirements for the staging of European football.

Empoli supporters inside the stadium

View of Stadio Carlo Castellani

Future Developments

Plans were unveiled in August 2015 to convert the stadium to a 20,000 all-covered arena, as well as to remove the Athletics track.

Since then progress has been limited with Empoli failing to consistently play in Serie A, Italy’s topflight division.

Empoli Info

Full Name:Empoli Football Club
Rivals:Fiorentina, Carpi, Sassuolo
Founded:1920
Team Colours:Light Blue
Nicknames:Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
Famous Players:Antonio Di Natale, Massimo Maccarone, Mirko Valdifiori, Carlo Castellani, Antonio Buscè
Famous Managers:Silvio Baldini, Maurizio Sarri, Luciano Spalletti, Gaetano Salvemini, Luigi Cagni
Team Goalscorer:Francesco Tavano (120)
Most Appearances:Davide Moro (325)
Official Website:https://empolifc.com/
Team Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empoli_F.C.

Stand Photos

Carlo Castellani is comprised of the following four stands: Curva Nord, Tribuna Est, Curva Sud and Tribuna Ovest which is the main stand.

Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium.

Matchday Experience

Stadio Carlo Castellani Away Section

Away fans are usually housed within the northern end of Carlo Castellani which is comprised of three prefabricated stands whose placement mimics the curve of the athletics track.

Collectively referred to as the Curva Nord, although the three stands are very spartan in appearance with their exposed support beams and lack of roof cover, they can actually look quite impressive when full of supporters.This in part perhaps due to their unique seating configuration of three unattached blocks!

Best Pubs near ground

As previously mentioned Empoli is a small town and commune, and subsequently you won’t find an abundance of big bars to drink from before or after the match. Instead you will find half a dozen independently run cafes around the neighbourhoods, each with their own provincial charm.

Food - Places to eat

The cuisine of Tuscany is characterised by simplicity with key ingredients being legumes, bread, cheese and fresh-fruit. Perhaps more famous as a wine region and for producing Chianti, you can find a number of authentic Italian restaurants around the city, fast food options such as McDonalds, not so much.

Empoli Club Shop

There’s no official word on an location or opening times of any Empoli Emporiums, with the exception of the various merchandise sellers located around Carlo Castellani on matchdays. Failing this you could always purchase Empoli souvenirs from the club’s official online store.

Can you take a stadium Tour?

It doesn’t look like Empoli FC offer fans the chance to tour the facilities at Stadio Carlo Castellani right now. If this ever changes we’ll definitely update this section.

How to buy Empoli Tickets

Tickets to see Empoli FC in action at home can either be purchased online, or at the Empoli Point box office located at the stadium in the days leading up to the match.

Ticket Prices

  • Tribuna Maratona: €45.00 – €150.00
  • Tribuna Ouest: €30.00 – €60.00
  • Curva Sud: €24.00
  • Curva Nord (Away Fans): €20.00

Please note that the above ticket prices are only an approximation based on available listings!

How to get to Stadio Carlo Castellani

Where is Stadio Carlo Castellani?

The town of Empoli is located approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Florence within the northern-central region of Tuscany in Italy.


Driving

The address for satnav is as follows:

  • Via delle Olimpiadi, 50053 Empoli Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

Car Parks

There are a total of three car-parks located around the perimeter of Carlo Castellani with the largest ones located south of the ground and behind the eastern stand. Accessible from Via delle Olimpiadi behind Curva Sud there appears to be a few hundred spaces although we currently don’t have any information regarding how much it costs or if it is open to the general public on matchdays.

Failing this the town centre has lot of spaces and is less than 15 minutes away by foot.

Train - Public Transport

The commune of Empoli is served by a single station known simply as Stazione Empoli. Located 1.5km south of Carlo Castellani stadium, the station is located centrally which means you can walk to the ground in just under 20 minutes upon arriving.

Inside Empoli Station

Public Transport of Stadio Carlo Castellani

Hotels Near Stadio Carlo Castellani

There are half a dozen or so hotels within Empoli town centre including the likes of Hotel Tazza D’oro, Foresteria Hotel Da Vinci and Hotel Il Sole which is located right outside the main train station.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who plays at Stadio Carlo Castellani?

Italian side Empoli play their home matches at Stadio Carlo Castellani.

What is the capacity of Stadio Carlo Castellani?

As of 2024 Stadio Carlo Castellani has an official seating capacity of 16,284 for Football matches.

When was Stadio Carlo Castellani opened?

Stadio Carlo Castellani officially opened in 1965 and is home to Empoli

What is the postcode for Stadio Carlo Castellani?

The postcode for Stadio Carlo Castellani is 50053.

Are there any Covid restrictions at the stadium?

Covid Restrictions may be in place when you visit Stadio Carlo Castellani in 2024. Please visit the official website of Empoli for full information on changes due to the Coronavirus.