Nelson Mandela Forum, formerly Palazzetto dello sport di Firenze and Palasport, is an indoor sports arena, located in Florence, Italy inaugurated in 1985. The seating capacity is for 5,253 people and the maximum capacity for rock concerts with general admission tickets is of 8262 people. It was home to Pool Firenze Basket basketball club before the club's relegation to minor leagues in 2009.
The arena hosted the 1990 basketball European cup winners cup in which local Italian club Knorr Bologna won the title,[1][2] in front of a crowd of 6,000 spectators.[2]
In 2010 the arena was one of the venues of the FIVB men's World Volley Championship
The structure is property of the city of Florence and is managed, since 2003, by the Associazione Palasport – Nelson Mandela Forum under a 12-year management agreement.
The Nelson Mandela Forum has a formal agreement with the Nelson Mandela Foundation that allows the use of the name of the South African former president.
The structure's compound is 25.000 m2 with 10.000 m2 of spaces where there are a main arena, a boxing training center, two areas used for gym (the latter being for many years home of the fencing center of Florence), one free climbing facility, and open spaces occupied by three permanent exhibitions on human rights.
During the summer when the main arena is not utilised, the compound of the Mandela Forum hosts two open-air cinemas with 600 and 250 seats that operate for the whole of the summer holidays season.
At the entrance of the Mandela Forum there is a mural painted by the South African Ndebele artist Esther Mahalangu inaugurated on the 17 of November 2010 by the Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa Paul Mashatile[3][4].
| Preceded by Peace and Friendship Stadium Piraeus |
European Cup Final Venue 1990 |
Succeeded by Patinoire des Vernets Geneva |