Apart from being erudite, fat and red, Bologna is also known as Basket City: the city of basketball.
Many miles away from Kobe Bryant’s sunny Los Angeles and Michael Jordan’s swinging Chicago, Bologna is however universally recognized as one of the world’s cities most akin to the rhythmic game of basketball.
The heated rivalry between the city’s two enemy teams, Virtus and Fortitudo, even if unbalanced in favour of the former, colors Bologna with a solid and unchanged basketball faith that has identified the perfect arena for a legendary challenge in the Paladozza sports facility.
Virtus vs Fortitudo: Bologna’s derby
Due to the historical importance of the two clubs and the unstoppable competition between fans, Bologna’s local derby is one of the most awaited, not only in Italy, but throughout Europe.
Since the end of the 1960s, the Paladozza arena has hosted victories and defeats, cries and disappointments from the fans. It may be for this reason that, once you cross the threshold of the palazzo, the atmosphere you perceive is astounding, even for those who have never experienced the derby.
The 12,000 square meters in which the Paladozza develops have in fact over 5,000 numbered seats for sports matches, concerts and theatrical events.
But for basketball fans the Paladozza is much more. Its parquet has been trampled by some of the biggest names in international basketball: from Danilović to Teodosić, from Myers to Belinelli.
The history of Italian basketball and more has been written at the Paladozza: stars, meteors, promises and confirmations of international basketball have passed through here and with them unforgettable emotions, colorful cultures and unchanged hopes.
From Garage Excelsior to Paladozza in just 15 minutes
Finding a parking space in Bologna, especially during a derby, is anything but simple. The Paladozza area is usually blocked and controlled by the police as a precaution, to avoid any kind of inconvenience between the two teams’ fans.
Luckily, Garage Excelsioris only a 15-minute walk from the Olympus of Emilian basketball, just outside the Restricted Traffic zone and with a 24/7 video surveillance service.
Keep your emotions for the derby and don’t worry about parking, regardless of your basketball faith, we’ll take care of that!
