Scots break new ground at stadium with a colourful history
Tomorrow’s Autumn Nations C u p o p e n e r b r e a k s n e w ground for Scotland who will play a Test match in Florence for the first time.
The Stadio Artemio Franchi is usually home to Serie A side Fiorentina but has a colourful history which features fascism, UFOS and Rangers - and also hosted one of Italian rugby’s greatest moments.
Italy may have lost 27 consecutive games in the Six Nations b u t i n 2 0 16 t h e y c l a i me d a r e mar k a b l e 2 0 -18 wi n ove r South Africa at the ground.
Fo u r y e a r s l a t e r a n d t h e S p r i n g b o k s a r e t h e wo r l d c h a mpi o n s whi l e I t a l y l a n - guish. S cotland will be hop - ing a return to Florence does not spark a revival in the home side’s fortunes.
The stadium, opened in 1931, was initially called the Stadio C o m u n a l e G i o v a n n i B e r t a after the lo cal fascist leader but the name was dropp ed after the Second World War.
T h e s t r a n g e s t e p i s o d e i n its histor y occurred on Octob er 27, 19 54 during a game between Fiorentina and local r iva l s P i s to i e s e . The c r owd of around 10,000 fell silent as they stared upwards as what app eared to b e UFOS trave - ling at high sp eed abruptly stopped over the stadium.
The objects were described v a r i o u s l y a s c i g a r - s h a p e d , disc-shaped and egg-shaped and it was claimed they emitted silver flakes. One theory is the deposits were the silk of mass migrating spiders.
Fiorentina won their only E u r o p e a n t r o p h y a t t h e g r o u n d , d e f e a t i n g R a n g e r s on aggregate in the final of the inaugural Cup-winners’ Cup in 1961. The Italian side won the first leg 2- 0 at Ibrox and the second leg 2-1 in Florence.